Date:10/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/10/stories/2008091055761300.htm

National

All the information you need may soon be posted in public domain

Special Correspondent

The public will get information without their asking for it: PM

— Photo: PTI

MORE TRANSPARANCY: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh releases the ‘National Strategic Statistical Plan,’ as Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation G.K. Vasan (right) and National Statistics Commission Chairman Suresh Tendulkar applaud, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday that the Centre was considering a proposal to go beyond the Right to Information (RTI) Act by posting all but the most strategic information in the public domain.

While the RTI was a tool for citizens to extract information from the government, the new system would give information without the public asking for it. The Centre’s data-sharing policy was being re-examined to bring all non-strategic information in the public domain.

The Prime Minister called for the setting up of a new independent system for evaluating some flagship programmes of the government, particularly in education, health and rural development sectors, based on the data generated both by the government and others.

The Planning Commission, the Finance Ministry and the Statistics department had been asked to collectively work out the details, he said inaugurating a conference of Ministers in charge of statistics of States and Union Territories here, under the auspices of the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

The evaluation was now dispersed over several government wings. The Ministries in charge of the programme did some evaluation, but this could not be called independent, he said. Similarly, the programme evaluation organisation of the Planning Commission also did some ex-post facto evaluation.

“But there is a need for much stronger system of independent evaluation that will report on the progress of these major flagship programmes in employment, education and health. Such a system will not only monitor the progress against targets, but also suggest ways and means of improving performance to produce better results.”

He urged the State governments to set up an effective arrangement to monitor the collection of State-level statistics which would enhance their credibility and reliability.

“We have to constantly review the quality of our system and of our statistics. We need to keep pace with new technology and with the demands of the consumers of information.”

National statistics needed to be supplemented by State-level statistics, which would allow a comparable analysis of economic problems and performance at the level of individual States.

On the massive growth of industries, he said alternative methods of generating industrial data should be evolved and there could be a collaborative arrangement between the Centre and the State governments. A similar pattern might be established for agriculture sector too, he said.

Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation G.K. Vasan said the government would set up a national academy of statistical administration to upgrade the skills and knowledge base of official statisticians. The government was working out a Rs.705 crore centrally-sponsored scheme for strengthening statistical system in States during 11th plan.

Mr. Vasan urged the States to have a separate department of statistics with professional statisticians heading them and statistical commissions at the State level.

National Statistical Commission Chairman Prof. Suresh Tendulkar called for a total change in the “unsatisfactory situation” relating to statistical needs in the country.