Context

• As another session of Parliament concluded, Members of Parliament continued raising questions regarding the number of schools with toilets, pensions distributed, and beneficiaries under welfare schemes.
• Although these issues are significant, such information should already exist in a transparent, accessible, and standardised public database.
• The repeated demand for basic statistics exposes a deeper weakness in India’s data governance system.
• Despite generating vast amounts of information, India struggles with fragmented and non-interoperable datasets that weaken policy-making, accountability, and administrative efficiency.

Anatomy of the Problem

• Fragmented Data Ecosystem
  • India’s data ecosystem remains highly fragmented, with Ministries and government departments using different definitions for indicators such as regions, time periods, and beneficiary categories.
  • The absence of common standards creates major barriers to interoperability, making it difficult to integrate datasets across institutions.
  • As a result, large volumes of data exist, but much of it lacks practical usability.
• Fiscal Leakages and Administrative Inefficiency
  • The consequences of weak data systems are particularly visible in welfare programmes. Multiple databases often record the same beneficiary repeatedly, resulting in serious fiscal leakages.
  • The removal of 17.1 million ineligible names from the PM-KISAN scheme was expected to save nearly ₹90 billion in FY2024.
  • Similarly, deleting 35 million bogus LPG connections and 16 million fake ration cards could save hundreds of billions annually.
  • These examples demonstrate how poor data management directly affects public expenditure and governance efficiency.
• Impact on Public Health Policy
  • Childhood tuberculosis cases are frequently recorded separately in the Health Management Information System, disease surveillance networks, and immunisation registries.
  • Such duplication creates conflicting estimates and reduces confidence in official statistics.
  • When policymakers cannot rely on accurate data, decision-making often shifts toward anecdotal evidence or political convenience instead of scientific analysis.

Global and Economic Consequences

• In the Global Innovation Index 2024, India suffered from missing and outdated indicators because agencies failed to provide updated statistics.
• This exposes weaknesses in inter-agency coordination and reduces the credibility of national performance assessments.
• Economically, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that improved public-sector data sharing could increase GDP by up to 1.5%, with even greater gains if private-sector data is included.
• Thus, weak data governance not only distorts policymaking but also limits economic growth and innovation.

Common Standard for Data

• Strengthening the India Data Management Office (IDMO)
  • A major solution lies in the National Data Governance Framework Policy and the proposed IDMO.
  • The IDMO could become the central institution responsible for enforcing common rules, definitions, and standards across Ministries and States.
  • However, such reforms require genuine authority. The institution must have the power to audit compliance, resolve disputes, and ensure uniform methodologies nationwide.
  • Without binding enforcement, inefficiencies and inconsistencies will persist.
• Alignment with Global Standards
  • India also needs alignment with global statistical frameworks such as the United Nations System of National Accounts.
  • A unified National Statistical Standards Manual could harmonise definitions and practices across sectors, improving consistency, reliability, and comparability of national data.
• Expanding Open Data Infrastructure
  • The expansion of data.gov.in into a comprehensive and schema-consistent repository is equally important.
  • Ministries should regularly upload datasets in standardised formats so that parliamentarians, researchers, and citizens can access accurate real-time and district-level information.
  • Such reforms would improve transparency, strengthen accountability, and reduce duplication across government databases.

Accountability as a Benchmark

• Role of the Data Governance Quality Index
  • The Data Governance Quality Index developed by NITI Aayog should become an annual benchmark tied to performance reviews and incentives for Ministries and States.
  • Healthy competition in maintaining high-quality data standards can encourage long-term improvements in governance practices.
• Data as the Grammar of Governance
  • Data standardisation is not merely a technical exercise; it is the foundation of modern governance.
  • A country aspiring to become a $5 trillion economy cannot rely on inconsistent and unreliable datasets.
  • Effective governance depends upon accuracy, coordination, efficiency, and responsible stewardship of information systems.

Conclusion

• Data serves as the grammar of governance and without coherent standards and reliable systems, policymaking becomes uncertain, public resources are wasted, and national development slows.
• Strengthening institutional reforms, improving digital infrastructure, and ensuring accountable data practices are essential for building an efficient and evidence-based governance framework.
• By committing to robust standardisation, interoperability, and transparent information systems, India can create a governance model that is future-ready, economically sustainable, and globally competitive.