Dr.Pronab Sen, Chairman National Statistical Commission, during an interview in New Delhi. , Photo Credit: Subramanium S
The Union Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation has quietly dissolved the 14-member Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS) headed by eminent economist and former chief statistician of the country Pronab Sen, allegedly after its members questioned the delay in conducting the census.
The reason it is being dismantled, according to an email sent to the members by Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General of the Ministry's National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), is that the committee's work overlapped with that of the recently formed Steering Committee for National Sample. Surveys. A copy of her email is with The Hindu,
Dr. Sen, however, told The Hindu that the members were not given any reason for disbanding the panel. He added that, in their meetings, they had asked why the census, which is a major source of data, has not been conducted yet.
India's decennial census has been conducted every ten years since the 1870s, and the last census was conducted in 2011. The next, scheduled for 2021, was initially delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has yet to be notified. A number of economists have expressed concerns that the data sets used for most statistical surveys are still being drawn from the 2011 census, impacting their accuracy and quality.
'overlapping roles'
Formed in July 2023, the SCoS was supposed to advise the Union government on survey methodology, including sampling frame, sampling design, and survey instruments, and to finalize a tabulation plan of surveys.
In her letter to the members, Ms. Rathore said that the Ministry had recently constituted the Steering Committee for National Sample Surveys (NSS) as per a recommendation by the National Statistical Commission (NSC) to look into the survey-related issues of NSSO. “The roles and responsibilities of Steering Committee are overlapping with that of Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS) as outlined in the respective Terms of Reference (ToRs). In this context, I would like to convey that the Ministry has decided to dissolve the SCoS, constituted vide its order dated 13th July 2023,” she said in the letter.
The new panel is headed by NSC chairman Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar, and at least four members of the SCoS have already been accommodated in it.
Ms. Rathore also extended the Ministry's “profound gratitude” for the invaluable contributions made by the SCoS to the various surveys of NSSO. “The SCoS has played a major role in advancing the framework and methodology of surveys, reviewing survey results, advising on sampling designs and survey instruments, and providing technical guidance to both Central and State-level agencies as per requirement. The collective expertise and dedication exhibited have significantly enhanced the quality and reliability of statistical data crucial for evidence-based policy making in our nation,” she said.
delayed census
When reached for a comment, Dr. Sen told The Hindu that the mandate of the SCoS was to help the Ministry on methodologies of collecting and tabulating data and that the Center itself has now gone against that mandate. “I have no idea of what happened. I got an email that the committee had been disbanded,” he said.
Over the last year, the panel had held more than half a dozen meetings and discussed several issues in its domain with utmost seriousness. “The lack of holding a census figured in all those discussions,” he said, adding that when every data set was brought before the panel, the members of the panel flagged the need for the census and questioned the delay in conducting it.
Another member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the Center had disbanded the panel of eminent academicians and statisticians unceremoniously. “The census is an important tool to decide the policies of the country scientifically. We had questioned the delay in conducting it and probably that was the reason why the SCoS was disbanded,” the person said.
Published – September 08, 2024 08:18 pm IST