Government data always come with limitations, but now they have a political dimension

The once credible and open Indian statistical system is now turning away from objectivity and introspection. The institutions that were set up to safeguard its autonomy and independence are becoming insignificant.

consumer expenditure survey, nsso, data error, poltical dimension in survey report, nsso survey, indian express

The report of the household consumer expenditure survey (CES) conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) during 2017-18 has been published. (Representational)

A new data-related controversy has erupted after the government aborted the publication of the report of the household consumer expenditure survey (CES) conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) during 2017-18. This survey is one of the oldest series of surveys — undertaken by NSSO since the 1950s — and is the precursor to the present Living Standard Measurement Surveys, highly favoured and supported by international agencies like the World Bank for estimating poverty. In India, the data from this survey has been the basis for estimating poverty numbers ever since the topic of poverty took centrestage in our political and economic discourse. Most Indian economists will be familiar with the CES data and its limitations. All along, there were also concerns about the potential under-reporting and reliability of the consumption data due to the increasing divergence between the household-level data and the corresponding consumption data provided by the national accounts. It appears from the government’s press note that it has also checked the report with the actual production of goods and services. The late B S Minhas, who was chairman of the NSSO governing council, was the first to explore these divergences. His findings did show that the divergences were not entirely due to underreporting in the surveys.