New Delhi: India has been included in the United Nations Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics which has a mandate to investigate the benefits and challenges of big data, including the potential for monitoring and reporting on sustainable development goals.
Membership in the Committee of Experts is a strategic opportunity for India to align its domestic advancements in big data and data science with international goals, showcasing the country’s capability to lead transformative initiatives in the data domain.
The opportunity to contribute to this global forum positions India as a major player in this area.
“The inclusion in this expert committee comes at a pivotal time, as India recently assumed membership of the United Nations Statistical Council after a significant gap,” the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation stated here today. It added that India’s inclusion in the Committee of Experts represents a “significant leap forward for the country’s statistical ecosystem”.
As part of the committee, India will contribute to shaping global standards and practices in harnessing big data and data science for official statistical purposes. “This milestone underscores India’s growing stature in the global statistical community and highlights its commitment to leveraging data and technology for informed decision-making,” the Ministry claimed.
India’s active engagement in the Committee of Experts will highlight its pioneering initiatives, including establishing the Data Innovation Lab and exploring alternate data sources such as satellite imagery and machine learning for policy making.
Big data and advanced data science techniques have the potential to revolutionize the production and dissemination of official statistics. By integrating non-traditional data sources such as IoT, satellite imagery, and private sector data streams, India aims to modernize its statistical processes, enhance the accuracy of estimates, and enable the timely availability of critical data for policy formulation and governance.
This engagement will also complement India’s ongoing efforts to:
- Streamline Statistical Production: Drive innovation in data collection, processing, and analysis to reduce the time lag in data availability.
- Improve Decision-Making: Provide policymakers with real-time insights for evidence-based decisions, addressing key socio-economic challenges.
- Foster International Collaboration: Share India’s expertise while learning from global best practices to create robust, future-ready statistical frameworks.
India’s joining the Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics is a step toward revolutionizing statistical production and dissemination, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and data-informed world. This recognition will strengthen India’s ability to influence global statistical practices, reinforcing its commitment to data-driven progress and sustainable development, the Ministry stated.
