In recognition of the remarkable contributions made by Professor (Late) Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis to the field of statistics and economic planning, the Government of India has designated his birth day 29^th June, as Statistics Day. The primary objective of celebrating this Day is to raise public awareness, particularly among the younger generation, about the pivotal role of statistics in policy formulation for national development.

The celebration for the 19^th Statistics Day was held at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi today. The theme for 19^th Statistics Day was ‘75 Years of National Sample Survey’, highlighting the enduring legacy and impact of the National Sample Survey in strengthening the statistical system of the country.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Rao Inderjit Singh, the Chief Guest of the event, in his address, paid tribute to Prof. Mahalanobis and highlighted the significance of the dual milestone; the celebration of Statistics Day and the 75^th year of the National Sample Survey (NSS). He spoke about the transformation of the statistical system through technological tools for real-time data monitoring. He emphasised on the need for methodological reforms such as updated sampling techniques, integrated survey frameworks, and harmonization with international standards. He expressed commitment of the ministry for inclusive engagement through consultations and capacity-building initiatives with State Governments. Union Minister lauded MoSPI’s transparent and inclusive approach and urged the statistical community to support the national vision of a transparent and ever-improving National Statistical Office. He concluded by appreciating the dedication of statisticians and field functionaries of the ministry.

Delivering the welcome address, Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI reflected on the NSS’s remarkable journey and its evolution into one of the world’s most robust and trusted statistical systems. Dr Garg highlighted the various reforms undertaken during this journey which started in 1950.Time reduction in publication of survey results and availability of data at more granular level with higher frequency, digital transformation undertaken in various work sphere from data collection through CAPI to its Dissemination through eSankhyiki portal having more than 135 million records, a  dedicated data visualisation section on the website for demystifying the complex data, mainstreaming of  alternative data sources including administrative statistics in the official statistics system were some of the reform initiatives  Dr. Garg emphasized in his welcome speech. He also mentioned that MoSPI’s focus on data dissemination through use of technology has changed the paradigm of data driven policy making en-route to Viksit Bharat.

Dr Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar, National Statistical Commission (NSC) Chairman, in his address mentioned the history of Indian Statistical system and the valued contributions of Dr. P.C. Mahalanobis for the development of the same. He congratulated MoSPI for their efforts in modernizing the Statistical system and thereby supporting data and evidence-based policy making. He underscored that the statistical agencies can greatly contribute other areas of governance like creating uniform methodology for normalization of scores in various online competitive exams and validation of online voting. Such initiative will create public trust in the government and will facilitate smooth governance.

To improve accessibility and engagement with official statistical products, the GoIStat mobile App was launched for enhancing the ease of access of official statistical data. The GoIStat mobile application represents NSO’s vision of creating an inclusive data ecosystem where every stakeholder can seamlessly access official data on the go. This new addition in the bouquet of dissemination services of the Ministry completes the website-portal-mobile app trinity provided to the public for accessing the official statistical data. This app can be downloaded from Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.gov.mospi.goistats).

The occasion featured the conferring of Prof. C.R. Rao National Award for 2025 in Statistics to Dr. Prajamitra Bhuyan, Assistant Professor, IIM Calcutta, for his exceptional contributions to the field of statistics. The winners of the Data Visualization Hackathon were also felicitated on this occasion.

Shri. P R Meshram, DG (Data Governance) expressed gratitude to the Chief Guest Hon’ble Minister, MoSPI, Chairman, NSC, Secretary, MoSPI, the Panellists of the Panel Discussion, other dignitaries, participants from multilateral agencies, industries, academia etc for gracing the event. While remembering the legacy of Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis, he called for renewing our commitment to ensure that the statistical data continues to serve as a cornerstone for evidence-based policymaking for progress and prosperity of all.

A technical session was held following the inaugural session which started with a documentary of NSS depicting its journey since beginning.  Recipient of Dr. CR Rao National Award in Statistics, Dr.  Prajamitra Bhuyan, Assistant Professor, IIM Calcutta, also addressed the gathering and expressed that there is a need to include the modern tools of Data Science in the Official system to meet the need of the stakeholders.

The session concluded with a panel discussion on the impact of frontier technologies on official statistics, moderated by Dr. Shamika Ravi, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. The panel featured eminent experts including Dr. Debasisa Mohanty, Director, National Institute of Immunology; Shri Prakash Kumar, CEO, Wadhwani Centre for Government Digital Transformation; and Shri Amitabha Tripathi, SVP and Head of Analytics Consulting, Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt. Ltd. The Panel dealt on the issues like challenges of applying frontier technology and the need for enhancing the capacity for the same. The panellists also discussed the use cases of frontier technologies. The discussion concluded with the remark from Dr Ravi that the need for data will only increase and the NSOs will have to cater to ever growing demand while maintaining gold standards expected of them.

About 700 participants including Senior officers from Central Ministries and Departments, State and UT Governments, representatives from international organizations such as UN agencies, and other key stakeholders participated in the event. The event also showcased a documentary on the activities of the ministry.

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