Simputers to be used for surveys

The central government's ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MOSPI) will soon be using simputers, the indigenous hand-held computer, during surveys to reduce the delay in publishing reports. Itt would cut costs significantly too.

Inaugurating the tenth course cum workshop on 'Sample design for household and enterprise surveys' Oscar Fernandes, minister of state (independent charge), MOSPI, said, "Use of simputer will enable the government to come up with reports and data within a month that take years under the present practice. in addition, a larger area can be covered as a consequence to the human resource and time savings that would come about".

The workshop was organised in India for the first time jointly by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNSIAP), Central Statistical Organisation(CSO) and MOSPI.

This four week long workshop will be held at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata (ISI) and will be attended by 20 participants from 18 countries across this region, including two from India.

This workshop aims to strengthen the capability of national statistical system in the region and to enhance statistical training capabilities and related activities at the country level through practically oriented training of official statistician in order to produce high quality statistics that can be utilised for economic and social development planning.

Commenting on the accuracy of the data published by CSO and National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) Oscar said, "Data reflects exactly what is collected from surveys. Data precision problem is always there but that is entirely due to the faulty response of the general mass".

To provide precise and relevant information the relevant departments are constantly engaged in redesigning the questionnaire, informed Oscar.

"There is urgent need of such seminars in larger scale. Many countries in this part of the world lacks superior quality of statistical system " added the minister.