Stats ministry plans to cover district-level data in surveys for smarter decision-making

Collecting micro level data

Sensing the need for micro-level data for effective decision-making, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has begun work towards to collecting district-level data for its surveys.

Official surveys will start with district-level data in January. The ministry has been working with state-level statistics bodies to firm up their architecture for district-level data.

Surveys now released by the ministry have national-level data and state-wise estimates.

“We are working to have district-level data as well,” said Saurabh Garg, secretary to the stats ministry, at a recent event hosted by the Centre for Economic Data and Analysis of Ashoka University. The ministry plans to go deeper with district-wise data, which can help the government formulate policies related to industrial development and infrastructure push.

Strengthening the statistical systems of various states is one of the primary target areas for the MoSPI.

In August, at the Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (CoCSSO), the MoSPI secretary noted that the state would play a critical role in creating a robust statistical system. “There is a greater need of developing linkages and shared areas of interest for a more robust National Statistical System with a pivotal role to be played by states,” he had said.

The ministry is planning a National Travel Survey, along with surveys on tourism and health. It will also start work on the Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey, which will track SDG indicators from January 2025.

The ministry has also held consultations with states for district-level growth estimates or Gross District Domestic Product. At present, states release annual state-level GDP data, while national-level estimates are released quarterly.