The National Statistics Office (NSO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the New Delhi based Pahle India Foundation (PIF) on 8 October 2026 to deepen cooperation in official statistics, research and data analysis. The signing took place in New Delhi in the presence of senior officials of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) and the leadership of the foundation. The pact creates a broad framework for joint research, capacity building and knowledge sharing linked to MoSPI priorities.
What Is NSO in India?
The National Statistics Office (NSO) is India’s central agency for official statistics, responsible for national accounts, price and industrial data, and large scale sample surveys on employment, consumption, health and education. The NSO was formed in 2019 by merging the Central Statistics Office and the National Sample Survey Office.
In economics, the NSO matters because it calculates the headline numbers that describe the Indian economy. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) part of its legacy compiles Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data, which measures the total value of goods and services produced in the country, along with the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and consumption and income estimates. The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) legacy conducts large household surveys such as the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for employment and unemployment data and the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) for spending patterns. These surveys use scientific sampling, where trained field staff visit selected households across rural and urban India to collect representative data.
The NSO was created through an order dated 23 May 2019 to bring these two streams together inside one office. The aim was to reduce duplication, improve data quality and align India with global practice where a single national statistical office manages both economic accounts and surveys. The earlier system had treated the CSO and NSSO as separate wings. After the merger, the field work arm, the Field Operations Division, became a subordinate office of MoSPI, while other divisions function as divisions of the ministry. A Data Quality Assurance Division was also created to improve survey and administrative data.
| Body | Full Form | Core Function | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSO | Central Statistics Office | National accounts, GDP, IIP and price related macro data | Merged into NSO in 2019 |
| NSSO | National Sample Survey Office | Large scale surveys on jobs, consumption, health and education | Merged into NSO in 2019 |
| NSO | National Statistics Office | Combined mandate for national accounts plus surveys and data quality | Active central statistical agency under MoSPI |
NSO Comes Under Which Ministry?
The National Statistics Office comes under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the nodal ministry for official statistics in India. MoSPI stands for Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The ministry sets statistical priorities, approves surveys and releases official data through the NSO.
MoSPI is headquartered in New Delhi and operates through two main wings, the NSO for statistics and the Programme Implementation wing for project monitoring and the MPLADS (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme). The NSO functions as the statistical wing of the ministry and is headed by the Secretary of MoSPI. The ministry maintains liaison with global statistical bodies such as the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for methods and standards.
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for MoSPI is Rao Inderjit Singh (as of October 2026). The Secretary of MoSPI is Saurabh Garg (as of October 2026), a 1991 batch officer of the Odisha cadre who earlier served as Chief Executive Officer of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The National Statistical Commission (NSC), set up in 2006 on the recommendations of the Rangarajan Commission, advises the system on priorities and standards. The NSC Chairperson in mid 2026 was Saibal Chattopadhyay.
This institutional setting explains why the MoU was signed at the ministry level. The NSO implements the work, but the priorities are fixed by MoSPI. Any joint research or data analysis with an outside partner therefore follows the ministry release calendar and quality norms for reports such as GDP advance estimates, PLFS releases and the annual report.
What Does the MoU with Pahle India Foundation Cover?
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which is a formal written pact that records shared intent to cooperate without creating a commercial contract, was signed on 8 October 2026 in New Delhi. The MoU was signed by Sunitha Bhaskar, Additional Director General of MoSPI, and Ravi Pokharna, Executive Director of Pahle India Foundation. The ceremony was attended by Saurabh Garg, Secretary of MoSPI, P. R. Meshram, Director General of MoSPI, Rajiv Kumar, Chairperson of PIF, and Ashish Kumar, Chief Statistician of PIF, along with senior officers of both sides.
The MoU provides a broad framework for work in four areas. The first is research on official statistics and methods. The second is data analysis, including use of survey microdata and administrative records. The third is capacity building, which means training and skill development for statistical staff and researchers. The fourth is knowledge sharing through workshops, publications and exchange of technical expertise. The agreement states that specific projects will be taken up from time to time based on the priorities fixed by MoSPI. That design keeps official data control with the ministry while allowing the foundation to add analytical and training support.
| MoU Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and place | 8 October 2026, New Delhi |
| Parties | National Statistics Office under MoSPI and Pahle India Foundation |
| Signatories | Sunitha Bhaskar and Ravi Pokharna |
| Senior presence | Saurabh Garg, P. R. Meshram, Rajiv Kumar, Ashish Kumar |
| Cooperation areas | Research, data analysis, capacity building, knowledge sharing |
| Operating rule | Specific activities to follow MoSPI priorities |
Who Is Pahle India Foundation?
The Pahle India Foundation (PIF) is a New Delhi based non profit policy research body that describes itself as a think and action tank. The foundation was established in 2013 by economist Rajiv Kumar, who earlier served as Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog, which is the National Institution for Transforming India and the central policy think tank of the Government of India. PIF is registered as a Section 8 company with FCRA certification and works on evidence based policy research that is rooted in Indian conditions.
The foundation runs a dedicated data unit called the Centre of Data for Economic Decision making (CoDED). The centre is led in technical matters by Ashish Kumar, former Director General of the Central Statistics Office, who serves as Chief Statistician of PIF. Its work focuses on practical improvements in economic measurement. This includes bottom up estimation of state and district income, use of high frequency indicators such as electricity use, GST collections and night lights for nowcasting growth, and stronger use of administrative data held by departments.
PIF has prior experience of working with governments on statistics. The foundation has signed pacts with three states, Assam in June 2023, Madhya Pradesh in May 2025 and Maharashtra in July 2025, to support estimation of Gross District Domestic Product (GDDP) and to strengthen state statistical systems. It has also run capacity building programmes with state directorates of economics and statistics. That background explains why MoSPI views the foundation as a partner that can combine research with field level training.
Why This Partnership Matters for Official Statistics
The partnership comes at a time when India is trying to make its statistics faster, more granular and more reliable. The economy has changed rapidly with digital payments, gig work and new services. Older survey tools capture these shifts with a lag. At the same time, MoSPI is working on revision of the GDP base year and on wider use of administrative data, which is data routinely created during governance such as tax records, scheme rolls and registration systems. Joint research and sharper data analysis can help test new methods before they enter official releases.
Capacity building is the second gain. Field surveys depend on large teams for listing, sampling, interviewing and supervision. Small errors in sampling or data entry can distort state and national estimates. Structured training, common manuals and quality checks improve consistency. Knowledge sharing also helps states. State directorates of economics and statistics prepare state income and district estimates that feed into national totals. Support on methods for district domestic product and nowcasting can raise the quality of these lower level numbers.
The context for this push was visible during the 20th National Statistics Day on 29 June 2026. National Statistics Day is celebrated on 29 June every year to mark the birth anniversary of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (1893 to 1972). Mahalanobis founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata in 1931 and shaped the Second Five Year Plan approach that stressed heavy industry. The day was instituted in 2007 to build public awareness about the use of statistics in planning. The theme for 2026 was Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data, which called for better quality, linkage and governance of departmental data so that it can be used for timely and granular official statistics.
| Statistics Day Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 June every year |
| Commemorates | Birth anniversary of P. C. Mahalanobis |
| First observed | 2007 |
| 2026 edition | 20th Statistics Day |
| 2026 theme | Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data |
| Nodal ministry | MoSPI |
For readers, the link is direct. The NSO produces the GDP advance estimates, employment reports and consumption data that shape interest rate calls, budget planning and business decisions. If methods improve and staff skills deepen, revisions become smaller and public trust rises. If administrative data is used well alongside surveys, India can publish faster local estimates without losing accuracy. The MoU does not change data release authority, which stays with MoSPI, but it adds an outside research and training channel to support that goal.
Key Takeaways
- The NSO under MoSPI signed an MoU with Pahle India Foundation on 8 October 2026 in New Delhi for official statistics, research and data analysis.
- NSO stands for National Statistics Office and was formed in 2019 by merging the Central Statistics Office and National Sample Survey Office.
- The NSO comes under MoSPI, which stands for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the nodal ministry for official statistics.
- The MoU was signed by Sunitha Bhaskar and Ravi Pokharna and covers research, data analysis, capacity building and knowledge sharing based on MoSPI priorities.
- Pahle India Foundation was founded in 2013 by Rajiv Kumar and runs the Centre of Data for Economic Decision making (CoDED) for state and district income work.
- National Statistics Day is celebrated on 29 June for the birth anniversary of P. C. Mahalanobis, with the 2026 theme Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data.
