Economic Survey cites Wikipedia as source to data in chapter on banks

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The Economic Survey 2020 has cited Wikipedia as a source of data in one of its chapters.

In Chapter 7, namely 'Golden Jubilee of Bank Nationalisation: Taking Stock', two charts, on pages 150 and 151, have cited the online encyclopedia as sources.

Wikipedia can be edited by volunteers around the world.

The first figure shows the number of banks to make it to the Global Top 100 in 2019. The figure explains how India's banks are disproportionately small compared to the size of its economy.

The Survey points out: "In 2019, when Indian economy is the fifth largest in the world, our highest ranked bank — State Bank of India — is ranked a lowly 55th in the world and is the only bank to be ranked in the Global top 100."

The second figure highlights this disproportionate dwarfism of the Indian banks when compared to the size of the Indian economy.

Citing Wikipedia as a source has earned the ire of netizens, who were surprised/shocked to see the citation in "one of the most important documents of the government".

Today, Wikipedia is listed as a source for charts in one of the most important documents of the Government of India. Soon it will be WhatsApp. #EconomicSurvey2020 https://t.co/SVy9mKYKF7

— Salman Anees Soz (@SalmanSoz) January 31, 2020