Bhubaneswar: Data-based decision-making plays a vital role in an interconnected world. It helps policy makers, investors, researchers and citizens to assess complex challenges and formulate effective plans and policies. Whether it is healthcare, education, economy or environmental sustainability, there is an absolute need for reliable, comprehensive and timely data, said the guests and speakers at the event today.
The two-day workshop titled ‘Data Forum – 2024’ was organized by NITI Aayog, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), Government of India, and the Department of Planning and Coordination, Government of Odisha with the support of the World Bank, at the Hotel Vivanta today, said the guests and expert speakers.
The workshop was held for two days on November 21 and 22, and senior officers from various states, union territories, and departments of the Government of India, educationists, etc. participated in it. This workshop is the second event in the series of state workshops of NITI Aayog. The first workshop in this series was held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on November 17, 2023.
In the inaugural function of the event, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha, Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo, participated as the chief guest and said that data serves as an important foundation for making informed decisions. Data is also needed to solve any problem from the ground up. Government and policy makers make decisions based on data. Due to this, we can improve the delivery of various services and achieve more effective outcomes by adopting transparent processes for citizens. In today’s world, data is considered an invaluable asset, said Deputy Chief Minister Shri Singh Deo.
The Deputy Chief Minister also said that as we are about to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of Odisha, the government has planned to make Odisha a developed state by 2036 and to achieve ‘Developed Odisha for Developed India’ by 2047. Evidence-based decisions and data are important to achieve the goal of developed Odisha. Various steps are being taken for the future with the help of the World Bank to strengthen the statistical system of Odisha. The statistical system of Odisha is being streamlined to meet the challenges of the future. The government is using the e-Chash app to provide accurate and timely information on farming practices and crops in the state to various stakeholders.
It is reducing the data gap by conducting digital surveys of crops. The data used in government work and surveys is mostly aggregated at the state level. All this data is used in census, farmer census, policy decisions related to the economy, establishment of industries, etc. So that the situation is known at the grassroots level and decisions can be taken accordingly. In addition, Odisha has a P-Pass system for rice procurement which uses data analytics.
Similarly, in times of natural disasters like floods, cyclones, etc., progress in recovery work and in times of emergency, access to inaccessible areas, satellite images and weather forecasts, etc. is possible through the use of real-time data. Due to this data, lakhs of lives are saved, said Shri Singh Deo.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, while attending the event, said that as we aim to contribute to a developed Odisha by 2036 and a developed India by 2047, we need access to accurate data for accelerated development and growth. He emphasized on the need for targeted, accountable, innovative, timely and easy access to data by the authorities to take quick and accurate decisions, which will help in decision-making. He said that technology will help in this and will enable the government to work more efficiently.
Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary, Anu Garg, also joined and said that data helps policy makers in the successful implementation of schemes by using data.
She said that the recently launched Subhadra Yojana for the welfare of women has been providing assistance to the eligible beneficiaries through sanitation despite facing multifaceted challenges due to the available data. Similarly, be it the use of data in disaster management and aspirational district programmes or the acceleration of various development trends of the state by retrieving data from the PM Gati Shakti portal.
Ms. Anna Roy, Principal Economic Advisor, NITIAayog presented opening remarks, introduction and overview of the Data Forum, 2024 Workshop. She also highlighted that the conference has created opportunities for improving Data ecosystem.
In inaugural panel discussion, Mr.Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Co-ordinator in India ,Dr. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Ayog said about the expectation of Data forum,2024. Dr. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog said that the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India is giving importance to the finances run by the data. There is a need to prepare a robust data system for the future of Durkaryam due to inconsistencies in the data. For this, everyone will have to work together, he said. World Bank data systemSpecialist Ms.ShreyaDutta Mishra coordinated the programme and invited the speaker for holding of the programme.
The second session of the workshop focused on activity: Towards an enabling environment for data-driven development. ShriAbhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, said that the impact of the Data Workshop has led to a lot of changes in this year from the workshop held in Lucknow in 2023. Shri Singh also highlighted how data driven governance plays a major role in good governance.
The session was attended by World Bank’s Task Team Leader and Senior Economist Thomas Danieleweitz, former Chief Statistician of Canada, Shri Anil Arora, Chief Executive officer of Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency Mr.GovindaRao, Director, Department of Information technology, Government of Assam,Mr. K.S.P.V. Pravan Kumar, Deputy Director General, MoSPI Computer Centre, Mr.Rohit Bhardwaj and World Bank’s Senior Digital Development Specialist Mr.Arun Sharma.
They focussed about the development of India’s digital public infrastructure , and essential factors that contribute to a robust data governance framework to unlock value, including regulatory compliance, organisational culture and skills, technology Infrastructure and state holder engagement . This was followed by a Question-Answer session led by World Bank Task Team leader Mr.Danielewetz. Shri BijayBhushan Nanda, Director, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Odisha along with other senior officials of the State Planning and Convergence Department were present on the occasion.