Data Users' Conference to boost evidence-based policy formulation, effective governance

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) In a bid to boost evidence-based policy formulation and effective governance, the government on Saturday announced to organise a "Data Users’ Conference" in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) in Mumbai.

In line with its continued efforts to strengthen engagement with data users and other stakeholders, the National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), is organising the conference at the IGIDR campus, Goregaon (East) in Mumbai, on April 21.

The "Data Users’ Conference" will be chaired by Dr Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

The event will host approximately 250 participants, comprising researchers, academicians, Economists, industrial associations, policymakers, representatives from international organisations, private survey agencies, as well as esteemed institutions from academia.

Experts and members of the National Statistical Commission (NSC) and technical committees will also be present.

The ministry conducts large-scale sample surveys to generate key economic indicators in critical areas such as employment and unemployment, consumption expenditure, and industrial statistics.

It also produces essential macroeconomic indicators, including National Accounts and Price Indices. These data sets form the foundation for evidence-based policy formulation and effective governance in India.

According to the ministry, the conference is being organised to promote dialogue between data producers and data users, fostering knowledge exchange and discussions on the latest developments in the field.

The technical sessions on National Sample Surveys will provide an overview of the sampling design, computation of multipliers, and estimation of parameters in NSS household surveys.

The sessions will also highlight key lessons from the conduct of the Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (HCES) for 2022–23 and 2023–24, with insights drawn from the latest data releases.

In addition, recent changes in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) methodology will be presented to enhance users' understanding and ensure clarity in interpretation, said the ministry.

—IANS

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