Census panel dissolved amid concerns over delay
In a surprising move, the ministry of statistics and programme implementation has dissolved an advisory committee formed to oversee key population surveys in the country. Sources familiar with the matter indicated the decision may be linked to concerns raised by committee members over delays affecting important nationwide studies.
The standing committee on statistics, established last year with eminent researchers and officials, was tasked with guiding various surveys conducted by the ministry. However, in a recent correspondence the ministry informed members about dissolving the panel without providing a clear reason.
Speaking to this reporter, former committee chair Pronab Sen shed light on the issue. He said no explanation was given but the move comes after discussions in prior meetings flagged delays in timely completion of the economic census and regular population census. The latter, conducted every decade, is already overdue after the last one in 2011.
Other members who also voiced apprehension about unreliability of data due to lack of updated censuses included experts from leading research bodies. They rightly stressed the importance of these large-scale studies for assessing various indicators.
The work done by the dissolved panel was said to be overlapping with a newly setup steering group. However, the timing and lack of a cited cause raise questions. As the economic and statistical backbone of the nation, conducting censuses on schedule is crucial. It remains to be seen if disbanding the oversight panel addresses underlying delays or fuels more uncertainty.
