HYDERABAD: Career statistician PC Mohanan questioned the government’s move of referring NSSO’s unemployment survey report to a Standing Committee, which is subordinate to the National Statistical Commission (NSC).
According to the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, the survey report is likely to be released by March end after feedback is received from the Standing Committee.
Mohanan, who was NSC’s acting Chairman, and another member J V Meenakshi had resigned in January, protesting the delay in release of the unemployment report.
“The standing committee is appointed by NSC and, hence, subordinate to the Commission, which is the final authority. Now, referring something that the Commission had already approved back to the committee, which it appointed, is not a proper thing,” Mohanan told Express.
In fact, Chief Statistician of India Pravin Srivastava, who is also the Secretary NSC, had approved the report during NSC’s meeting in December.
“How can you refer it back to the subordinate committee?” questioned Mohanan. “Anyway, I have no problem with that. They (committee members) are technical people and if they want to examine it again, they can do so.”
Chaired by former University of Calcutta Professor S P Mukherjee, the committee includes eminent economists and statisticians. As per protocol, the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) prepares the draft survey report, submits it to the standing committee for examination. It then goes to the Commission for final approval.
Meanwhile, the first quarterly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for urban areas was expected in April-May, but it is likely to be delayed as the Commission has no members. Done once in five years, the last survey report was released in 2011. However, starting 2016-17, NSSO started PLFS, including quarterly surveys for urban areas and annual surveys in rural areas. Importantly, sampling methodologies were changed, which some in the ministry are objecting to.
“Some people are unfamiliar with the sampling methodology, but the credibility of data can’t be doubted. It’s a statistical methodology and one can always question technical inconsistencies, but not releasing the data isn’t the correct thing,” Mohanan explained.
Considering the elections, it’s likely that appointments will be made by the new government. “The NSSO is supervised by the NSC, which decides survey topics for next year. In the absence of the Commission, there will be some impact on its functioning.”