Delhi, 18 March (H.S.): The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will host a brainstorming session on leveraging non-conventional data sources for official statistics on March 20, 2025, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The session will explore methods to integrate non-conventional data, such as satellite images, mobile call records, social media sentiment analysis, and citizen-generated data, with traditional data from censuses, surveys, and administrative records.

Given the technological advancements, these non-conventional data sources represent a significant opportunity to enhance data-driven decision-making and complement existing official statistics.

The event aims to foster discussions among experts, policymakers, data scientists, and statisticians on the convergence of these diverse data types, addressing challenges and identifying strategies to improve the accuracy and timeliness of official statistics.

Panelists will examine various emerging data sources and their potential for integration with conventional datasets, ultimately seeking optimal frameworks for this confluence in statistical practices.

The keynote at the brainstorming session will be delivered by Sri Kris Gopalkrishnan, co-founder of Infosys and a noted global business and technology thought leader. He is involved with prestigious institutions such as the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, IISc Bangalore, and IIIT Bangalore.

The session will also feature insights from Sri Rana Hasan, Regional Lead Economist at the Asian Development Bank, Sri Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, and Dr. Saurabh Garg from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Panelists from various sectors, including UN agencies, government bodies, and private institutions like UIDAI and IIT Kanpur, will contribute to technical discussions. The event is expected to attract representatives from central ministries, UN agencies, think tanks, and research institutions.

The outcomes are aimed at enhancing methodologies for utilizing non-conventional data sources and developing an effective institutional framework for integrating data from both conventional and non-conventional origins.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar