Lok Sabha Question No. 2059 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Transparency, Comparability and Public Confidence in Official Statistics
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: Shri Sasikanth Senthil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2059

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

TRANSPARENCY, COMPARABILITY AND PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN OFFICIAL STATISTICS

2059. SHRI SASIKANTH SENTHIL:

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

- (a) whether the Government has undertaken major methodological changes in  surveys  and  base  year  revisions  of  Gross  Domestic  Product  (GDP), Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in recent years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  these  changes  have  led  to  variations  in  estimates  when compared with earlier series;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  the  manner  in  which  expert  consultations  and  user  feedback  have been incorporated before finalising such changes; and
- (e) the steps being taken to ensure transparency, comparability and public
- confidence in official statistics?

## 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): Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has decided a  comprehensive exercise  for  revision  of  the  base  year  of  Gross  Domestic Product (GDP), Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) to enhance their relevance, accuracy and international comparability. The proposed new base year for the GDP and IIP is 2022-23, and for CPI the proposed base year is 2024. Base year revision of GDP, CPI & IIP is guided by the respective Technical Advisory Committee / Expert Groups comprising of experts from Academia, Central and State Governments, RBI etc. The revision work  includes  methodological  improvement,  incorporation  of  new  data sources including latest survey data, weight updation etc. In order to improve the survey results, MoSPI has undertaken various steps like increase in sample size; modification of sampling design, survey instruments, survey periodicity etc.  Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), Household Consumption expenditure  Survey  (HCES)  and Annual  Survey  of  Unincorporated  Sector Enterprises  (ASUSE)  results  have  been  used  for  the  Base  year  revision exercise.

(b) & (c): The release of the new series of GDP, CPI and IIP is scheduled for 27 th   February  2026,  12 th   February  2026  and  May  2026,  respectively.  Survey results are released from time to time. All releases are made available on the MoSPI website.

(d) In addition to Technical Advisory Committee / Expert Group comprising of experts  from  Academia,  Central  and  State  Governments,  RBI  etc.,  MoSPI organized Consultative Workshops/Meetings on the Base Year Revision of GDP, IIP  &  CPI  and  surveys  to  solicit  feedback  and  suggestions  from  the stakeholders and to ensure transparency, comparability and public confidence in official statistics. The feedback received from the users are incorporated in consultation with Technical Advisory Committee / Expert Groups. (e):  The  MoSPI,  has  taken  several  steps  for  accuracy  and  transparency  of statistical data which inter alia, include:

(i)  Utilizing  digital  platforms,  with  in-built  validation  mechanism,  in  sample surveys conducted by MoSPI for data collection. This technological advancement  has  facilitated  simultaneous  processing  of  data  and  also resulted in a drastic reduction in time lag of release of reports.

(ii) Placed Advance Release Calendar (ARC) of its statistical products on the ministry's website (www.mospi.gov.in).

(iii)  In  order  to  facilitate  ease  of  Data  Dissemination  and  Management,  eSankhyiki portal has been launched. Unit level data of the surveys are also made available on MoSPI's website (www.mospi.gov.in) for access by various researchers, policymakers, etc.

(iv)  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.

(v)  Circulated  a  National  Meta  Data  Structure  (NMDS)  among  Ministries  / Departments. The NDMS has been designed, inter alia, to provide clarity on the data sources, collection methods and enhance discoverability of datasets.

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