In an attempt to improve the quality of data available on social indicators, ministry of statistics will rope in non-gazatted organizations (NGOs) to check the credibility of data collected on various indicators like employment, health and education, county?s top statistician told FE. The move is expected to help the bridge the wide gap that currently exists in social sector data and help the government to formulate the policies in a better way.
?We know of various social issues that government needs to address. But the statistical support to this is currently weak. We are looking at coordinating with NGOs to fill the gaps and also to check the credibility of data already in place,? said country?s new chief statistician TCA Anant. His predecessor Pronab Sen, who moved back to Planning Commission as principal advisor, had already started the work on co-ordinating with various government departments to collect data from across the country.
For instance, the postal department is collecting data for the Consumer Price Index for rural areas that will be launched in the first half of next year.
As a pilot project the national family health survey in Andhra Pradesh is already done by the NGOs. The department is looking at replicating the method in other states also.? The nature of expectations of what government will do and how will it function has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. This has posed enormous challenges to the statistical system. We are looking at ways in which this can be delivered. Giving a bigger role to NGO?s is only a step in that direction,? said Anant.
The ministry of statistics and programme implementation?the nodal agency for collecting data and monitoring government projects?is currently crippled with man power shortage leaving them no choice but to depend on alternative methods for collecting data. It is also looking at taking the help of statistics students from colleges across the country for faster and effective data collection.