Pariksha SaathiP. K. Mishra Calls Strong Statistics a Strategic Asset at MoSPI Conference of State Secretaries
Giving the keynote at the inaugural session of a Conference of State Planning, Finance and IT Secretaries hosted in New Delhi on 13 October 2026 by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Dr. P. K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, argued that reliable data is the foundation of good policy and of the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He said statistics should be treated as a strategic national asset rather than an administrative formality, and that India's measurement systems must keep pace with an economy that is becoming more digital and formal. As steps in that direction he pointed to the revised National Accounts (GDP) series, now based on 2022-23, and the updated CPI and IIP series. Mishra stressed that development happens in the states, called for stronger state statistical offices and better Centre–State coordination, and said national averages will increasingly need to be supplemented by state- and district-level data. He welcomed the use of AI, satellite imagery and geospatial tools, but warned that faster numbers must not come at the cost of accuracy or confidentiality.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
On 27 February 2026, MoSPI's National Statistics Office released a new series of annual and quarterly GDP estimates with 2022-23 as the base year, replacing the series based on 2011-12. 2022-23 was chosen as a recent 'normal' year after the COVID disruption with good data across sectors. Retail inflation has also moved to a new CPI series with base year 2024=100, replacing the earlier 2012=100 series.
Reference: MoSPI press note on the new GDP series with base year 2022-23 (27 February 2026)
Check yourself: is a base-year revision the same as the routine annual revision of GDP figures?
No. Routine revisions only add newer data within the same framework. A base-year revision also updates the reference year, data sources, coverage and methodology to capture structural changes in the economy.
Revision task: write the current base years of India's three headline statistics mentioned here (GDP, CPI, IIP) and check the IIP base year on MoSPI's website.
Test yourself
Dr. P. K. Mishra said the revised National Accounts (GDP) series is now based on which base year?
Show the answer
Answer: 2022-23
In his keynote at MoSPI's Conference of State Planning, Finance and IT Secretaries, he pointed to the revised National Accounts series (base 2022-23) and the updated CPI and IIP series, calling statistics a strategic national asset.
Read the daily collection → · Editorial standards & corrections