MOSPI: Using Tech for Frequent Surveys & Evidence-Based Policy

New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation will continue to focus on technology to reduce the time lag between surveys to enable evidence-based policy making and increase the frequency of such periodic studies, said a senior official.

Addressing a 'Data user conference on Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2022-23' Statistics Secretary Saurabh Garg said, "Use of technology is something which we will continue to focus on as we move ahead. The purpose of that is to ensure that the time period between surveys can be reduced."

Citing examples of HCES, PLFS (periodic labour force survey), he said many of these surveys are annual and the ministry is trying to find out which of these surveys can be made quarterly or even monthly.

Later talking to reporters on the sidelines, Garg said the ministry is looking at making PLFS a monthly study. Presently, PLFS is brought out quarterly and annually.

Considering the importance of availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals, the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched a Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017.

The objective of PLFS is primarily to estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas.

Garg also stated that availability of the data at the right time for any decision maker is critical for making more informed decisions.

"We are also working on looking at how we can use innovative mechanisms to build a data innovation hub. How can we ensure that a sand box can be built so that people can play on with the data," he said.

He also informed that MOSPI does not have pen and paper surveys as it uses tablets to carry out computer-aided personal interviews.

These tablets are capable of uploading the data right from the field itself, so that this time delays that happen between the survey and the availability of results is decreased.

He assured that there will be more such data users conferences in the coming days.

"It is our objective to have these (data users conference) not only in Delhi but we will have it across the country so that people are fully aware of the data, the statistics generated by the MOSPI," he said.

Earlier speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) Bibek Debroy, lauded the efforts of MOSPI for its image make over by conducting data users conference saying once it was known as ministry of status quo and perineal impediments.