New Delhi, August 3: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has informed Parliament that it is modernizing national sample surveys by adopting digital survey platforms, including computer-assisted personal interviews and AI-enabled chatbots.
In a statement to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh emphasized the integration of administrative datasets and a new quality framework to strengthen India’s national statistical ecosystem.
The initiative includes the adoption of an integrated computer-assisted personal interview platform with the e-Sigma system, AI-enabled chatbots, and a multilingual interface.
To address the rapidly changing socio-economic indicators, the Ministry has launched short-duration surveys. Additionally, administrative datasets have been integrated to enhance the sampling frame for certain surveys, improving survey efficiency and facilitating timely preparation of official statistics.
Significant improvements have also been made in macroeconomic data, including revisions to the base year for Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Consumer Price Index (CPI), and Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
The Minister noted that the government has taken several steps to harmonize data. These steps include adopting the National Metadata Structure (NMDS 2.0), initiating the Statistical Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF), and aligning with national and international classification standards.
The Ministry examines global statistical standards and best practices for potential adaptation or customization in the Indian context, while also implementing measures to enhance the accuracy, transparency, and reliability of statistical data.
In alignment with the UN’s Global Indicator Framework (GIF) established by the UN Statistical Commission, the Ministry has developed a National Indicator Framework for Sustainable Development Goals. The Minister stated that while the NIF is based on the GIF, it customizes indicators to suit India’s national priorities, policy contexts, and data ecosystem.
The Ministry is also running a mandatory monitoring system for central sector infrastructure projects, replacing the Online Computerized Monitoring System (OCMS-2006) for project assessment, infrastructure monitoring, and analytics.
Furthermore, the Ministry has launched a performance monitoring dashboard that strengthens infrastructure monitoring efforts by providing performance metrics for key infrastructure sectors through standardized indicators.
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