Forum planned to optimise use of databank

The National Statistical Commission, headed by former Reserve Bank of India governor C Rangarajan, plans to constitute a data user forum to get regular feedback from users of official data.

The forum will be constituted of all types of data users including private bodies, companies and social activists who will regularly give their feedback on the usability and relevance of data.

"Today, official statistics has a much larger audience than it had a few years back, when the government was the predominant user. These days, the private sector, individuals and even social activists use the data for their own purposes," Pronab Sen, chief statistician of India and secretary of the National Statistical Commission, told Business Standard.

"We are increasingly becoming more sensitive towards the need of the users. It may be happening that we are putting out data which people do not need. Statistics has to be relevant. For that we need to know what users require and what they do not get," Sen added.

Sen said though the commission does receive feedback from advisory committees, "but by and large these tend to be dominated by government data users". When asked what will be the nature and composition of the body, Sen said, "We have yet to figure that out".

The National Statistical Commission was set up on June 1, 2005. It serves as a nodal and empowered body for all core statistical activities in the country.

It will evolve, monitor and enforce statistical priorities and standards so as to ensure co-ordination among the different agencies involved.