A two-day National Seminar on “Social Group
Statistics and Present Statistical System: Emerging Policy Issues, Data
Needs and Reforms” began here today. It is being jointly organized by
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) and Indian
Institute of Dalit Studies. The seminar was inaugurated by Minister of
Statistics and Programme Implementation Shri Srikant Kumar Jena. While
addressing the audience consisting of eminent scholars, Senior
Government officials from the Central Ministries/Departments and State
governments, Academicians and policy makers, Shri Jena emphasized the
necessity of organizing such seminar, which provides a platform to
deliberate on important issue of growing demand for social
group-specific policies, as specific solutions are required for specific
problems.
Shri Jena also stated that the National Data Bank set up under the Ministry as per the recommendations of Sachar Committee requires more disaggregated level data for social groups and socio-religious categories. The Minister, mentioning the provisions of Indian Constitution and various U.N. Declarations, highlighted the need for minimizing the inequalities not only among individuals or groups of people living in States but also amongst the people residing across the country. He stated that through successive five year plans, the Government of India has been implementing various welfare schemes targeting the social groups with the objective of poverty alleviation and highlighted the significant economic growth, development, reduction in poverty and improvement in crucial human development indicators such as literacy, education and health achieved by the country since independence.
Shri Jena stressed the need for sound data collection and dissemination system and analysis, particularly pertaining to social group statistics as it would be immensely useful for planning, policy formulation and designing focused programmes for the social groups. He touched upon the limitations in the existing statistical system pertaining to social groups and hoped that this Seminar shall revisit the Indian statistical system and suggest reforms and ways to strengthen the statistical system, especially keeping in view group-specific policies and programmes.
The inaugural session of the seminar was also addressed by Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairman, Indian Council for Social Science Research; Dr. T.C.A. Anant, Chief Statistician of India & Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and Shri S.K. Das, Director General, Central Statistics Office. All the speakers stressed upon the urgent need of sound database pertaining to the social group statistics so that more focused policies and programmes be prepared by the planners.
Shri Jena also stated that the National Data Bank set up under the Ministry as per the recommendations of Sachar Committee requires more disaggregated level data for social groups and socio-religious categories. The Minister, mentioning the provisions of Indian Constitution and various U.N. Declarations, highlighted the need for minimizing the inequalities not only among individuals or groups of people living in States but also amongst the people residing across the country. He stated that through successive five year plans, the Government of India has been implementing various welfare schemes targeting the social groups with the objective of poverty alleviation and highlighted the significant economic growth, development, reduction in poverty and improvement in crucial human development indicators such as literacy, education and health achieved by the country since independence.
Shri Jena stressed the need for sound data collection and dissemination system and analysis, particularly pertaining to social group statistics as it would be immensely useful for planning, policy formulation and designing focused programmes for the social groups. He touched upon the limitations in the existing statistical system pertaining to social groups and hoped that this Seminar shall revisit the Indian statistical system and suggest reforms and ways to strengthen the statistical system, especially keeping in view group-specific policies and programmes.
The inaugural session of the seminar was also addressed by Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairman, Indian Council for Social Science Research; Dr. T.C.A. Anant, Chief Statistician of India & Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and Shri S.K. Das, Director General, Central Statistics Office. All the speakers stressed upon the urgent need of sound database pertaining to the social group statistics so that more focused policies and programmes be prepared by the planners.
