Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation and Ministry of Planning Rao Inderjit Singh on June 29 inaugurated the Statistics Day 2019 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The revamped portal of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and SDG Dashboard were launched on the occasion in addition to release of Baseline Report on SDGs and Study report on Revamping Project Management Practices conducted by Project Management Institute (PMI).
Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and President, Indian Statistical Institute, Pravin Srivastava, Chief Statistician of India-cum-Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, along with senior officers of Central/ State Governments and other stakeholders were also present on the occasion.
The winner of Prof. C R Rao Award 2019, Dr Subhra Sankar Dhar, Associate Professor, IIT, Kanpur, was felicitated during the program for his notable contribution in the field of Statistics. The winners of ‘On the Spot Essay Writing Competition’ for Post Graduate Students on the subject relevant to Statistics organised at All India level were also felicitated. During the event, a short documentary film on SDGs was also exhibited reflecting country’s commitment towards integrating social, economic, and environmental dimensions for holistic development.
In his address, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation and Planning Rao Inderjit Singh underlined the importance and need for holistic data for informed policy discourse and decision. He mentioned that the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation is fully committed to continuously improving the data quality of Official Statistics in a transparent manner. He further underscored that in order to monitor the progress of SDGs, the creation of a robust database is essential.
Complimenting the contribution of statisticians and researchers in improving the National Statistical System, Singh announced that MoSPI would be instituting the Prof. P C Mahalanobis National Award in Official Statistics to recognise and honour the outstanding contribution and meritorious work of Official Statisticians working in the Central Government, State Governments and their Institutions.
The Government has been celebrating the Statistics Day to popularise the use of Statistics in everyday life and sensitise the public as to how Statistics helps in shaping and framing policies. It is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Prof. P C Mahalanobis on June 29 in recognition of his invaluable contribution in establishing the National Statistical System. This year’s theme of Statistics Day is Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) keeping in view India’s commitment towards achieving these goals, according to a PIB release.