National Statistics Day celebrated with focus on unlocking potential of administrative data

SHIMLA 29 June, 2026

The 20th National Statistics Day was observed here today, commemorating the birth anniversary of renowned statistician Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, whose pioneering contributions laid the foundation for India’s modern statistical system. This year’s national theme, Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data, reflects the growing importance of administrative datasets in enabling evidence-based policymaking, efficient governance and citizen-centric public service delivery in the digital era.

On this occasion, Principal Secretary Economics and Statistics Dr. Abhishek Jain inaugurated the departmental library, marking a significant step towards strengthening knowledge resources and promoting a culture of research and data-driven learning within the department.

Highlighting the significance of the occasion, he said that administrative data generated every day across government departments represents one of the country’s most valuable yet underutilized public assets. If systematically organised, harmonized and securely shared, these datasets can significantly strengthen governance by enabling faster, more informed and evidence-driven decisions.

He stated that governments today are expected to respond quickly to increasingly complex developmental challenges. This requires timely, reliable and granular information that traditional surveys alone cannot always provide. Administrative data generated through routine implementation of government programmes offers continuous, real-time insights that can substantially improve planning, monitoring and evaluation of public policies.

Administrative data has the potential to transform governance from reactive administration to proactive decision-making. It can improve the targeting of welfare schemes, optimize allocation of public resources, strengthen monitoring systems and enhance transparency and accountability across government Dr. Jain said.