Stefan Priesner, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, praised India's advanced digital public infrastructure (DPI) during the 20th National Statistics Day celebration on June 29, 2026, in New Delhi. Speaking at a technical session, he emphasized the vast potential of administrative data for developmental decision-making.
Event Highlights and Key Attendees
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) organized the event at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre to mark the 133rd birth anniversary of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, the architect of India's modern statistical system. The inaugural session was chaired by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, PK Mishra, with Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for MoSPI Rao Inderjit Singh, MoSPI Secretary Saurabh Garg, and National Statistical Commission Chairperson Saibal Chattopadhyay in attendance.
Theme: Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data
This year's theme, "Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data,” highlighted the role of data generated through administrative processes in supporting evidence-based policymaking. Priesner noted that India's DPI opens "huge opportunities" to use daily-updated administrative data as a complement to traditional surveys, calling it "a huge, important complement."
People-Centric and Ethical Data Collection
Priesner stressed that data collection must remain people-centric and guided by ethical considerations. "Behind each data, there is always a person. And so we have to always connect the objective of policymaking with the data sets," he said. He also emphasized building trust in administrative data, adopting privacy-by-design principles, and ensuring safeguards against misuse.
UN Support for India's Statistical Ecosystem
Expressing continued UN support, Priesner stated, "I express my full support to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and other partners with whom we have been working together for a long time." He linked administrative data to the Sustainable Development Goals, calling such data an asset rather than a by-product of administrative processes.
Presentations and Impact
The technical session featured presentations demonstrating how administrative and sectoral data ecosystems can improve public service delivery, operational efficiency, and policymaking. According to an official MoSPI press release, the event brought together global leaders and national policy architects to chart the future of real-time, evidence-based governance.
