Chapter 7 – Basic Economic Data | 06 May 2025

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) 

MoSPI became an independent ministry in 1999 after merging the Department of Statistics and the Department of Programme Implementation. It serves as the central agency for developing and coordinating India's statistical system, engaging with central and state governments, UTs, and international agencies.  

  • The Ministry has two wings: the Statistics Wing and the Programme Implementation Wing.  
  • It also oversees the National Statistical Commission (NSC), established in 2006 to set policies and standards for statistics, and the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), a national institute of importance under the ISI Act, 1959.  
    • National Statistical Commission (NSC): Set up in 2006 following the Rangarajan Commission's recommendations, NSC guides statistical priorities and ensures coordination.  
      • It consists of a part-time Chairperson, four part-time members, the CEO of NITI Aayog (ex-officio), and the Secretary of MoSPI as its Secretary.  

National Statistical Office (NSO) 

  • NSO coordinates statistical activities nationwide, compiling national accounts, industrial production indices, consumer price indices (urban/rural), human development, energy, social, and environmental statistics.  

National Accounts 

  • MoSPI prepares national accounts, including GDP, national income, consumption, savings, and capital formation.  
    • It publishes the National Accounts Statistics annually and releases GDP estimates quarterly and annually as per the advance release calendar.  

Price Statistics 

  • MoSPI compiles the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for rural, urban, and combined sectors monthly.  
  • The base year was revised to 2012=100. It also releases the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), covering ten food sub-groups.  
    • CPI (Urban): Measures retail price changes in urban areas, collecting data from 310 towns.  
    • CPI (Rural): Since 2018, MoSPI has collected rural price data from 1,181 villages.  
    • Wholesale Price Index (WPI): MoSPI compiles monthly WPI data, covering 6,765 quotations from 5,905 manufacturing units, in coordination with DPIIT.  

Index of Industrial Production (IIP) 

  • MoSPI compiles the monthly IIP using data from 14 source agencies, releasing quick estimates with a six-week lag.  
  • Data covers mining, manufacturing, electricity, and use-based classifications. 

Multi-Domain Statistics 

  • MoSPI develops statistics across sectors like gender, population, health, education, and food security.  
  • Its annual publication ‘Women and Men in India’ offers gender-disaggregated data.  
  • MoSPI represents India in international forums like BRICS, IAEG-GS, and the Washington Group on Disability Statistics, contributing to global statistical standards and cooperation.  

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

  • In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, comprising 17 SDGs and 169 targets for 2015–2030.  
  • Effective from 2016, the SDGs integrate social, economic, and environmental goals, applying universally to all countries. India is committed to implementing the SDGs through nationally defined indicators, coordinated by NITI Aayog, while MoSPI oversees the National Indicator Framework (NIF) for monitoring.
  • Statistics Day: India celebrates Statistics Day on 29th June, honouring Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis for his contributions to economic planning and statistics.  
  • e-Sankhyiki Portal: Launched in June 2024, the e-Sankhyiki portal provides an integrated platform for managing and sharing official statistics, featuring a Data Catalogue and Macro Indicators.  
  • India at UN Statistical Commission: India, recognised for its statistical expertise, was elected to the UN Statistical Commission (2024–2027) after nearly two decades. The Commission sets global statistical standards and guides their implementation. 

Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) 

  • Launched in 1993, MPLADS enables MPs to recommend community-based projects, focusing on durable assets like drinking water, sanitation, education, and roads.  
  • Each MP has an annual entitlement of ₹5 crore. District authorities manage implementation, and a new web solution supports revised fund flows since 2023.