Question : CRITICISM ON STATISTICAL DATA

(a) whether there has been growing criticism from several agencies including Reserve Bank of India (RBI) about the quality of data dished out by various Government agencies including Central Statistical Organisation as reported in the media;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government has been thinking of evaluating the said statistical data;

(d) if so, whether National Statistical Commission has ordered an audit of the process used in the construction of economic data; and

(e) if so, the progress made by the Commission in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE), MINISTRY OF COAL AND STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION (SHRI SRIPRAKASH JAISWAL)

(a)&(b): There has been generally no criticism about the quality of statistical data. However, some concerns were expressed recently on the behaviour of industrial growth based on Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and estimation of Quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP). After the release of the GDP estimates for the first quarter of the year 2010-11 (April-June , 2010) on 31/08/2010, it was detected that there was an inadvertent error in the application of price deflators for converting Quarterly estimates of GDP at market prices (current) to Quarterly estimates of GDP at market prices (constant). This error was rectified and a corrigendum issued on 1.9.2010.

(c) to (e): The National Statistical Commission (NSC) has taken steps for evaluation of statistical data. The NSC has ordered statistical audit on the all-India Index of Industrial Production as a test case.