The Government of Odisha has entered into a five-year collaboration with the University of Chicago Trust (UCT) to leverage data for promoting innovation and guiding policy decisions. In January of this year, the two entities had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create the DPIC, which seeks to facilitate research based on evidence in the fields of energy, environment, health, education, agriculture, and water and sanitation. The DPIC also aims to accelerate the development of a data interface that can enable evidence-based governance of current programmes, according to an official statement.
“The establishment of the DPIC is a testament to the government’s commitment to the state’s development across various sectors.” Scholars from around the world are conducting research in Odisha and taking their findings to the rest of the world,” Tusharkanti Behera, Technology Minister, Odisha, said.
The DPIC’s primary objective is to promote evidence-based governance using techniques in econometrics, data science, and machine learning, while also serving as a hub for gathering large volumes of data from various sources. To operationalise DPIC, the University of Chicago Trust (UCT) is providing support to the government through the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC India) and its other research centres, the statement mentioned.
“Odisha has a history of utilising data to test new and innovative ideas. Five years ago, we collaborated with the Odisha government to launch a one-of-a-kind data-driven transparency programme for industries. Therefore, in a sense, it feels like a homecoming for us, and we are thrilled to partner with the Government of Odisha to further advance policymaking that is rooted in data and evidence,” Michael Greenstone, milton friedman professor in Economics, director, Energy Policy Institute, University of Chicago, said.
With inputs from ANI.
