The Hindu Business Line : Manmohan for transparency in statistical system

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has stressed the role of statistics as the country marches towards becoming a knowledge economy and integrates with the international economic order.

Inaugurating the Statistics Day celebrations here on Friday, which is also the birth anniversary of late Prof P.C. Mahalanobis, the Prime Minister said the hallmark of a country’s reputation would be the credibility and transparency of its statistical system.

Referring to the National Statistical Commission set up by Government last year, Dr Singh observed that two aspects of the mandate are of particular importance.

“The first is to evolve and lay down national quality standards in different areas of statistics and the second is to exercise statistical coordination between ministries, departments and State Governments,” he added.

The Prime Minister appealed to all concerned to extend full cooperation to the National Statistical Commission and to actively seek its assistance in improving the country’s statistical databases,

Accomplishment

Dr Singh expressed hope that young statisticians from India would continue to lead the world in theoretical and applied statistics and bring a further sense of pride and accomplishment to India.

The Prime Minister paid glorious tribute to Prof. Mahalonobis for his pioneering contributions in a wide range of areas including anthropology, educational testing, statistical quality control, agriculture, flood control, meteorology and for institution building.

The Minister for Statistics, Mr G.K. Vasan, said Prof. Mahalanobis was the builder of modern statistical system in India.

His contributions to the development of statistics as a science are fundamental and well recognised all over the world.

The Government has declared June 29 of each year as Statistics Day to be celebrated as a special day at the national level.