NEW DELHI: India has joined UN committee of experts on big data and data science for official statistics, an entity that was created to further investigate benefits and challenges of big data, including potential for monitoring and reporting on sustainable development goals.
Inclusion in this expert committee comes at a crucial time, as India recently assumed membership of United Nations Statistical Council after a significant gap. India’s inclusion in the committee of experts represents a significant leap forward for the country’s statistical ecosystem, an official statement said.
“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,” according to the official statement.
It said India’s engagement in the committee will highlight its pioneering initiatives, including setting up of a data innovation lab and exploration of alternate data sources such as satellite imagery and machine learning for policy making.
“The opportunity to contribute at this global forum positions India as a major player in this area. Membership in the committee 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,” according to the official statement.
It said big data and advanced data science techniques have the potential to revolutionise production and dissemination of official statistics. By integrating non-traditional data sources such as Internet of Things, satellite imagery, and private sector data streams, India aims to modernise its statistical processes, enhance accuracy of estimates, and enable timely availability of critical data for policy formulation and governance, the statement added.
