In a significant milestone, India has joined the prestigious UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics.

This committee was created to further investigate the benefits and challenges of Big Data, including the potential for monitoring and reporting on the sustainable development goals.

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The move comes at a pivotal time, as India recently assumed membership of the 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. As part of the committee, India will contribute to shaping global standards and practices in harnessing big data and data science for official statistical purposes. 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.

This engagement will also complement India’s ongoing efforts to streamline statistical production, improve decision-making and foster international collaboration.

India’s active engagement in the Committee of Experts will highlight its pioneering initiatives, including the establishment of the 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 of Experts 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.Big data and advanced data science techniques have the potential to revolutionize the production and dissemination of official statistics.

By integrating non-traditional data sources such as IoT, satellite imagery, and private sector data streams, India aims to modernize its statistical processes, enhance the accuracy of estimates, and enable the timely availability of critical data for policy formulation and governance.