Lok Sabha Question No. 4445 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Dissolution of Standing Committee on Statistics
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: Shri Vishaldada Prakashbapu Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4445

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025

## DISSOLUTION OF STANDING COMMITTEE ON STATISTICS

## 4445. SHRI VISHALDADA PRAKASHBAPU PATIL:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has assessed the impact of dissolving the  Standing  Committee  on  Statistics  (SCoS)  on  the  overall statistical governance framework;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  manner  in  which  its  key functions will be handled by the Steering Committee for National Sample Surveys;
- (c) whether  the  dissolution  of  the  SCoS  affects  the  coordination, oversight or methodological rigour of national statistical programmes;
- (d) if  so, the details thereof including the measures being taken to ensure the robustness and credibility of statistical data following this structural change; and
- (e) whether  any  additional  mechanisms  are  being  introduced  to maintain  transparency  and  stakeholder  confidence  in  national statistics and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS  AND  PROGRAMME  IMPLEMENTATION;  MINISTER  OF STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY  OF  PLANNING AND  MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  CULTURE  [RAO

INDERJIT SINGH]

(a) to (d): For the purpose of reviewing the extant framework and to address the  issues  raised  from  time  to  time  on  the  subject,  results, methodology, questionnaire, etc of all National  Sample  Surveys conducted by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI),  the  Steering  Committee  for  National  Sample  Surveys  (NSS)

has been constituted vide order dated 14.06.2024 as per the recommendation of National Statistical Commission (NSC). The Terms of  Reference  (ToR)  of  the  Committee  have  been  framed  with  an objective of ensuring the robustness and credibility of statistical data. The  details  of  Composition  and  ToRs  are  given  in  the  Annexure. Further,  as  the  roles  and  responsibilities  of  the  Steering  Committee overlapped  with  those  of  the  SCoS  constituted  vide  order  dated 13.07.2023 as outlined in the respective Terms of Reference (ToRs), it was decided to dissolve the SCoS vide order dated 12.07.2024. (e): MoSPI  is  the  nodal  agency  for  planned  development  of  the statistical system in the country. In order to enhance the transparency of  survey data, the reports of the survey results are released on the website of MoSPI alongwith the unit level data. The revamped Microdata portal, the GoIStats mobile app and e-Sankhyiki portal have been launched  by  MoSPI  which  facilitate  easy  dissemination  of  official statistics  showcasing  important  socio-economic  indicators  including GDP, inflation, employment data, etc across the country with an aim to  provide  timely  and  valuable  data  inputs.  Regular  dialogues  with data  users/stakeholders  are  also  conducted  in  order  to  incorporate their feedback and enhance their understanding about the data being published by MoSPI.

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The  details  including  composition  and  terms  of  reference  are  as under:

## A. Composition of the Steering Committee:

|   1. | Prof. Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar, Chairman (NSC)                                                    | Chairman   |
|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|
|    2 | Prof. Bimal Kumar Roy, former Professor, ISI Kolkata                                               | Member     |
|    3 | Dr. Tathagata Bandyopadhyay, former Professor, IIM Ahmedabad                                       | Member     |
|    4 | Dr. T. V. Ramanathan, D/o Statistics, S. P. Pune University                                        | Member     |
|    5 | Prof. Sonal De Desai, Professor, NCAER, New Delhi                                                  | Member     |
|    6 | Dr. Biswanath Goldar, former Professor, Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), New Delhi              | Member     |
|    7 | Dr. Mausumi Bose, former Professor, ISI Kolkata                                                    | Member     |
|    8 | Prof. S. Chandrasekhar, Professor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), Mumbai | Member     |
|    9 | Chief Economic Adviser, DEA or its representative [Ms. Anuradha Guru, Economic Adviser]            | Member     |
|   10 | Representative from Reserve Bank of India [Shri Ravi Shankar, Adviser, RBI]                        | Member     |
|   11 | CEO, NITI Aayog or its representative [Ms. Anna Roy, Principal Economic Adviser, NITI Aayog]       | Member     |
|   12 | Director General (NSS), MoSPI, New Delhi                                                           | Member     |
|   13 | Director General (Central Statistics), MoSPI, New Delhi                                            | Member     |
|   14 | ADG, C&QCD (erstwhile SCD), NSS, MoSPI, New Delhi                                                  | Member     |
|   15 | ADG, HSD (erstwhile SDRD), NSS, MoSPI, Kolkata                                                     | Member     |
|   16 | Director, Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Govt.. of Uttar Pradesh                           | Member     |
|   17 | Director, Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Govt. of Karnataka                                | Member     |

DDG, C&QCD, NSS, MoSPI

Secretary

(Note 1. The Member(s) at Sr. No. 2 to 7 above may be treated as NonOfficial Member (s) as on date.

- Note  2. It  is  further  clarified  that,  where  the  membership  is  not designation-based  in  para  Α  above,  such  Members  of  the  Steering Committee  will  be  deemed  nominated  by  their  names.  Members  at serial  numbers  12  to  17  would  be  deemed  nominated  as  per  their designation. Moreover, Members at serial numbers 9, 10 & 11 would be  deemed  nominated  as  per  their  designation  or  represented  from their respective offices.)
- B. The tenure of the Steering Committee will be for a period of two years. The Steering Committee shall make recommendations to NSC on the matters specified in following Terms of Reference (ToR):
- a. To review the extant framework and to address the issues raised from time to time on the subject results/ methodology questionnaire, sampling  frame,  sampling  design,  concepts  and  definitions,  survey instruments  etc.  related  to  all  National  Sample  Surveys  as  brought before the Steering Committee.
- b. To examine the issues or any other matters raised from time to time on the subject methodology, etc. related to all National Sample Surveys by MoSPI or external entities as brought before the Steering Committee.
- c. To review and advise on survey methodology including sampling frame,  sampling  design,  survey  instruments,  etc.  and  to  finalize tabulation plan of surveys.
- d. Finalization and approval of survey results/ reports for release.
- e. To  provide  guidance  to  conduct  pilot  surveys/pre-testing,  if necessary, before finalizing schedules/ questionnaire for data collection from time to time.
- f. To  provide  guidance  for  study  and  exploring  the  availability  of administrative statistics relating to surveys/statistics.
- g. To provide guidance for study/identify data gaps/additional data requirements,  if  any,  in  respect  of  surveys/statistics  and  suggest appropriate strategy for improvement.

h. To provide technical guidance to the Central and State (wherever State participation is there) level agencies for the conduct of the surveys. i. Deliberate  on  any  other  matter  relating  to  or  incidental  to  the surveys/survey  results  referred  to  Steering  Committee  from  time  to time. C.  The  Steering  Committee  will  have  the  provision  to  constitute Working  Group(s)  for  aforesaid  purposes,  if  required.  The  Working Group(s) so formed will directly report to the Steering Committee. D.  The  Coordination  and  Quality  Control  Division  (erstwhile  Survey Coordination Division) of NSS, MoSPI shall issue separate order(s) for constitution of such Working Group(s) after taking due approval of the Competent Authority and provide all requisite  secretarial  assistance to such Working Group(s) for the administrative and financial purposes.

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