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13/09/24 09:59 AM IST

Dissolution of Standing Committee on Statistics

In News
  • The Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has dissolved the 14-member Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS) headed by eminent economist and former chief statistician of the country Pronab Sen. Geeta Singh Rathore.
Responsibilities of SCoS
  • The SCoS advised the Centre on survey methodology, including sampling frames, sampling design, survey instruments, questions, etc.
  • It also played a vital role in finalising the tabulation plan of surveys, reviewing the extant framework, and addressing the issues raised from time to time on the subjects, results, methodology, etc. related to all surveys.
  • The Terms of Reference for the SCoS also included providing guidance for conducting pilot surveys/pre-testing, exploring the availability of administrative statistics relating to surveys/statistics, providing guidance for studying or identifying data gaps, providing additional data requirements, and imparting technical guidance to the Central and State level agencies for conducting surveys.
Role of Committee
  • The Steering Committee, which replaces the SCoS, has 17 members and one non-member secretary.
  • The Centre has retained at least four members from the SCoS in the Steering Committee other than officials such as Ms. Rathore. Sonalde Desai, Bishwanath Goldar, S. Chandrasekhar, and Mausumi Bose are the four experts who are retained.
  • The tenure of the Steering Committee will be for two years.
  • Its Terms of Reference are quite similar to that of SCoS, including reviewing subject results, methodology questionnaires, sampling frames, sampling design, concepts, definitions, survey instruments, etc. related to all National Sample Surveys.
  • It will also advise the Ministry on survey methodology and finalise the tabulation plan of surveys.
  • The mandates of both the committees clash in a way, though the composition of the Steering Committee is different as it has more official members while the SCoS had several non-official members.
Pressure of New Census
  • Serious academicians and policymakers have been demanding the Centre to conduct a census.
  • The Opposition said that the lack of fresh data keeps crores of people away from schemes such as the National Food Security Act.
  • The Opposition has also been questioning the numbers on employment and unemployment. On the periodic labour force surveys too, there were questions.
  • Since the Census is conducted by the Union Home Ministry, the Ministry of Statistics has been telling the SCoS members in its meetings that it has no role in deciding the date of census.
  • Statisticians and academics argue that the census can provide State and sub-district wise data on issues such as education and employment.
Source- The Hindu

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