29th CoCSSO in Chandigarh Highlights Role of Statistics in Local Governance

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) successfully organized the 29th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (CoCSSO) in Chandigarh on 25–26 September 2025. The central theme of this year’s conference was “Strengthening Local Level Governance”, reflecting the growing emphasis on robust statistical systems as the foundation of evidence-based policy, decentralized planning, and India’s march toward Viksit Bharat @2047.

The two-day event brought together a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including representatives from 30 State and UT Departments of Planning, Economics & Statistics, senior officials from Central Ministries, experts from premier institutions like the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), IASRI, and ICAR, as well as global partners such as the World Bank and UN agencies.

Inaugural Session and Key Leaders

The inaugural session on 25th September was graced by:

• Rao Inderjit Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), MoSPI, MoP, and MoS in Ministry of Culture

• Shri Nayab Singh Saini, Chief Minister of Haryana

• Shri Bhawani Singh Pathania, Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board, Himachal Pradesh

Delivering the keynote, Rao Inderjit Singh emphasized that strong local governance begins with strong local data. He stated that reliable, granular statistics enable policymakers to translate community needs into actionable development plans. “Data is a strategic asset—when harmonised, credible, and sufficiently disaggregated, it becomes the backbone of good governance,” he remarked.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini echoed the importance of Centre–State collaboration, stressing that reliable statistics form the bedrock of effective welfare schemes. Bhawani Singh Pathania underlined the significance of high-quality data for decentralized planning, linking it to the empowerment of Panchayati Raj institutions under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.

Major Launches at the Conference

MoSPI unveiled several initiatives designed to strengthen data accessibility, innovation, and citizen engagement:

• Children in India 2025 Report

• Environmental Accounting on Forests – 2025

• PAIMANA Dashboard for monitoring programme performance

• NMDS 2.0 Portal for data dissemination

• Revamped MoSPI website and iOS version of the GoIStats app

These initiatives represent a major push toward digital dissemination, open data culture, and real-time monitoring, enabling both policymakers and citizens to engage meaningfully with national statistics.

Day 1 Highlights: Data Modernization and Innovation

The first day focused on enhancing statistical capacity through technology and institutional strengthening:

• Revamp of the Support for Statistical Strengthening (SSS) scheme – Odisha presented its digital transformation of the Directorate of Economics & Statistics (DES).

• MPLAD scheme implementation – Himachal Pradesh highlighted convergence practices.

• Business registers and industrial statistics – Karnataka shared experiences on preparing the Statistical Business Register (SBR) and base year updation of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

• Survey collaboration – Uttar Pradesh demonstrated model-based district-level estimates for policy decisions.

• GDP/GSDP base year revisions – Haryana presented learnings from its state-level updates.

• Consumer Price Indices (CPI) – Maharashtra showcased district-level CPI compilation as a sub-State index innovation.

• Research and innovation by MoSPI – use cases of AI/ML applications in official statistics were shared, alongside Karnataka’s innovations in vital statistics digitization and geospatial mapping.

Day 2 Highlights: SDGs, Data Convergence, and Capacity Building

The second day focused on aligning local statistical systems with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhancing institutional capacities:

• SDG monitoring – Rajasthan showcased its multi-tier indicator framework (State, district, block level).

• UNDP experts emphasized the need for SIF, DIF, and LIF frameworks to localize SDG monitoring.

• Dataset harmonisation – discussions on definitional convergence, with the Department of School Education and Literacy presenting UDISE+ as a real-time education data model.

• Capacity building – MoSPI’s NSSTA and Tamil Nadu highlighted structured training, inter-institutional collaboration, and systemic reforms to strengthen statistical human resources.

Valedictory Session: Roadmap for Stronger DES

In the concluding session, Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI, urged States to prepare clear roadmaps for strengthening their Directorates of Economics and Statistics (DES), highlighting the need for manpower augmentation and better institutional resources. “Data must now be recognized as a fourth strategic asset, alongside land, labour, and capital,” he stressed.

Shri A.K. Sadhu, Member, National Statistical Commission (NSC), called for continuous collaboration beyond the conference. He encouraged States to share learnings and innovations among themselves to strengthen India’s statistical system collectively.

Exhibition and Knowledge Sharing

An exhibition showcased pioneering tools for evidence-based governance, including the NITI for States portal, Viksit Bharat Strategy Room, Meghalaya’s Mother Program, BISAG-N’s geospatial solutions, Bhashini’s AI-based real-time translation tool, and the Experience in a Box device for aspirational districts.

MoSPI also released a Compendium of Key Takeaways from 50+ workshops conducted under the State Support Mission (SSM) over the last two years, offering States a reference repository of best practices.

The 29th CoCSSO reaffirmed that data-driven governance is the cornerstone of Viksit Bharat @2047. With commitments to revamp statistical infrastructure, harness frontier technologies, and strengthen human capacities, the conference has set the stage for a resilient, modernized, and collaborative statistical ecosystem.