Dated Data: Editorial on Apprehensions Over India's Delayed Census
Dated Data: Editorial on Apprehensions Over India's Delayed Census
As revealed by events in recent years, the Government of India appears hesitant when it comes to handling data, particularly when the numbers do not align with its preferences.
The uncertainty surrounding the delayed national census raises significant doubts and concerns. Work on Census 2021 is still pending, even though Covid-19 is behind us and the 2024 elections are long over. Does this signal that the census exercise will follow the path of the former Planning Commission—renamed and its objectives altered? If that happens, it would be unfortunate. The census is a comprehensive statistical study of the economy and society, generating a large volume of reliable data. These data are essential for several reasons. They form the foundation for public policy formulation, helping identify problems, estimate the extent of necessary interventions, and design the policies to be implemented. A delay in gathering data would mean that public policy is based on outdated or irrelevant information—or worse, on the perceptions of politicians driven by ideological compulsions.
The lack of data also hampers the private sector’s ability to understand changes in demand and supply, income growth, and its distribution across various income groups and regions. While firms can conduct their own studies on microeconomic factors such as customer income, changing preferences, new technologies, and potential competition, census data provides more granular economic insights. Individual firms typically lack the resources to generate economy-wide data as the government can. Thus, the absence of timely census data negatively impacts the quality of decision-making in the private sector. For example, a current debate claims that a shrinking middle class is a key factor in India’s slowing economic growth. How accurate is this claim? Hard data would be a valuable tool for producers to assess how markets are evolving.
As revealed by recent events, the Government of India seems reluctant to engage with data, especially when the numbers do not align with its preferences. India must regain its reputation as a country with one of the most competent statistical survey systems in the world.
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