Probationers of Indian Statistical Service called on the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (December 16, 2022).
Addressing the officers, the President said that policy formulation and execution cannot be effective without the right statistical analysis. In this era of endless information and data flow, the role and importance of statistics has increased exponentially. When we talk about India’s rank in respect of any parameter, it is statistics. When we say, India is a country of young people or has high demographic dividend, it is on the basis of statistics that we say this.
The President said that Indian Statistical Service officers have a key role in compiling official statistics at the central level for use of government and non government entities. Their job requires high proficiency in statistical methods, which they would use to provide solutions to data and information needs of the country. She noted that various modules in their training cover wide range of areas including recently emerged fields of Data Mining, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. She expressed confidence that the training programme would enable them to perform their duties efficiently.
The President said that India is at the cusp of a new phase of socio-economic transformation. Increased penetration of digital technologies has brought transparency and efficiency in the government functioning and has transformed the e-government landscape. The flow of data through these initiatives provides support to the government in taking effective decisions.
Urging the officers to do their duties with sincerity and commitment, the President said that their contribution in steering India towards greater progress and development is going to be huge. The information and data analysis that they provide would be instrumental in making and implementing policies which ensure that no one is left behind in the journey of development.