Statistical reform: Suggestions for the new government’s first 100 days

livemint.com:

One of the first things the newly elected government announced was its intention to have its ministries and departments put in place a 100-day agenda of action. In this context, it is worth noting that the BJP, in its election manifesto, had promised that “we will further strengthen the capacity of statistical institutions to give impetus to data-driven policy making." Here, I outline some measures that can be taken over the next 100 days by the government’s statistical agencies towards that goal. Let’s begin with suggestions for the short-term.

Announce a time schedule for the Census: The 2021 Population Census got deferred because of covid and then possibly because of multiple elections for state assemblies and the Parliament. For the moment, major election clusters are behind us. Given the nature of our democratic structure, polls will keep happening.

The long gap since the 2011 Census has created many problems for statistical work, particularly those using Sample Survey data. This is because the frame for all Sample Surveys is drawn from the preceding Census, and using old frames leads to poor quality aggregate estimates. If the registrar-general were to notify a calendar for Census operations in the next 100 days, we may be able to conduct it by 2026.