Integrating vast datasets remains a challenge, says MoSPI Secy Saurabh Garg

New Delhi: With vast datasets available, the challenge remains to integrate and share them, ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) secretary Saurabh Garg said Thursday.

"The biggest challenge remains on how to integrate administrative, alternate and survey data in a statistically robust manner... and how we can ensure robust conclusions," he said.

Speaking at a session on leveraging non-conventional data sources for official statistics, Garg said the ministry has set out the national metadata standards to establish clear definitions for data collection and a quality assessment framework for various ministries. "We have issued a set of common identifiers that can be used by different ministries/departments and will help capture GST and road toll data to get a sense of GDP."


The ministry has reached out to various ministries to explore alternate datasets.

Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan said, "We are at forefront of crafting a progressive regulatory framework for all kinds of data, including non-conventional, personal, and non-personal data, both in public and private hands."