Addressing discrepancies in the official statistical system amid data gaps

The discrepancies in the statistics produced by different agencies are generally due to issues of definitions, coverage, and differences in statutory and procedural requirements

One of the strong points of the Indian statistical system is the availability of information from multiple sources on important key socioeconomic indicators. Information from independent sample surveys, carried out through an established institutional system, such as those of National Sample Survey (NSS) and National Family Health Survey (NFHS), have often been used to cross-validate statistics, available from official or departmental sources and major government programmes. The latter can be accessed through dashboards on the websites of the different departments. The progress of major national programmes is also widely published by the official agencies, unlike in the past where such