National Statistics Day 2020: Current Theme, History and Significance
National Statistics Day 2020: It is observed on 29 June. The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Prof. P C Mahalanobis and his invaluable contribution in establishing the National Statistics Day. Let us have a look in detail about the day, current theme, history and significance.
National Statistics Day 2020: The day is celebrated to popularise the use of Statistics in daily life and also make us people understand how Statistics help in shaping and framing the policies. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, this year National Statistics Day is celebrated virtually, in view of the travel and safety advisories.
National Statistics Day: History
The Government of India decided to celebrate the National Statistics Day on the outstanding contribution made by Late Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the field of economics planning and statistics and therefore National Statistics Day mark his birth anniversary. Notification to this effect was published in the Gazette of India on June 05, 2007.
National Statistics Day 2020: Celebration
The National Statistics Day event will be chaired by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation and Ministry of Planning, Rao Inderjit Singh. Some other stakeholders and officers will also be present in the occasion including Dr. Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and President, Council of Indian Statistical Institute, Shri Pravin Srivastava, Chief Statistician of India-cum-Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, along side senior officers of Central/ State Governments.
During the event the Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis National Award winner, 2020 will be felicitated. The outstanding contribution for high quality research work will also be recognised by the Ministry in the field of applied and theoretical statistics who had benefited the official statistical system through the Prof. C.R. Rao and Prof. P. V. Sukhatme awards, awarded in alternate years. In the event for 2020, the award winner for Prof. P. V Sukhatme will be declared . Also, the winners ‘On the Spot Essay Writing Competition, 2020’ for Post Graduate Students on the subject relevant to Statistics organized at All India level will also be felicitated.
During the event the updated version of the Report on Sustainable Development Goals-National Indicator Framework (NIF) Progress Report 2020 (version 2.1) will also be released. And on 29 June 2020 along with the report, the Indian Statistical Services Cadre Management Portal will also be launched.
About Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis or P.C. Mahalanobis was born on 29 June, 1893, Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. He died on 28 June, 1972 in Calcutta. He was an Indian statistician. He devised the Mahalanobis distance and in the Second Five-Year Plan, he was instrumental in formulating India’s strategy for industrialisation. He established the Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta on 17 December, 1931.
He also devised a measure of comparison between two data sets and now it is known as the Mahalanobis distance. He invented techniques for conducting large-scale sample surveys and calculated acreages and crop yields by using method of random sampling. He also generated a statistical method known as fractile graphical analysis to compare the socioeconomic conditions of different groups of people. For flood control, he also applied statistics to economic planning.
No doubt it is expected that the event will raise awareness in people mainly among the younger generation, about the role of Statistics in socio-economic planning and policy formulation.