New Delhi: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), organised a workshop on "Emerging Trends in Public Data and Technology for Research and Policy" at the IIM Ahmedabad campus. This initiative aligns with MoSPI's ongoing efforts to enhance the national data ecosystem and advance evidence-based policymaking.
The event brought together distinguished speakers, including Saurabh Garg, secretary of MoSPI and head of NSO; Bharat Bhaskar, director of IIMA; P.R. Meshram, director general of MoSPI; senior officials from the ministry; faculty members; students; and representatives from premier academic and research institutions. The discussions focused on leveraging public data, emerging technologies, and academic collaborations to address policy challenges.
Bharat Bhaskar highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in policy formulation but also cautioned against biases that may arise from historical data patterns. He stressed the need for safeguards to ensure fairness and accuracy, stating that collaboration should be aimed at maximising benefits for the public good.
Saurabh Garg provided an overview of the ministry’s functions, including its various surveys and macroeconomic indicators. He noted that India's vast volume of administrative data presents a unique opportunity to integrate it with alternative datasets to meet the growing expectations of data users. As the custodian of decades-old datasets, MoSPI must rejuvenate legacy data using emerging technologies to make it AI-ready. He emphasised that institutions like IIMA could play a key role in this effort.
A major milestone of the workshop was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between MoSPI and IIMA. This partnership will serve as a framework for collaborative efforts in data innovation, ensuring that academic research contributes effectively to policy development. As a precursor to the workshop, a focused session with IIMA faculty was held in the forenoon, exploring ways to leverage the expertise of both institutions to enhance data-driven policy support. The discussions highlighted the importance of an institutional framework for sustained collaboration between NSO India and IIMA and the development of human capital to drive these initiatives forward.
The workshop reaffirmed the importance of integrating public data with advanced technology to strengthen evidence-based policymaking. By engaging with academic institutions, MoSPI aims to harness research-driven insights and technological advancements to build a stronger statistical ecosystem. This collaboration marks a significant step towards a robust, data-driven policy environment, reinforcing MoSPI’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and inclusivity in the national statistical system.
BI Bureau
