Cabinet okays national panel on statistics

The Cabinet today gave due recognition to the need for ‘‘reliable quantitative information’’ in the country’s devel...

The Cabinet today gave due recognition to the need for ‘‘reliable quantitative information’’ in the country’s development by approving the creation of a National Statistical Commission.

Its basic objective would be to ensure that datas satisfy the fundamental criteria of independence, relevance, credibility and respondent confidence by being impartial and giving the impression that its collection, analysis and reporting was not manipulated.

The Commission will identify areas of core statistics which are of national importance and critical to economic development; evolve and recommend national policies and priorities relating to the statistical system; spell out the methodology and lay down national quality standards on core statistics.

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The Commission would have four part-time members headed by a part-time chairman with authority to constitute committees or working groups to assist it, an official spokesman told reporters after the Cabinet meeting..

The initiative to set up the panel follows the Rangarajan Commission’s recommendation for a permanent and statutory apex body on policy making, coordination and ensuring the quality of core statistics.

The Cabinet also approved a pact with the Swiss government for cooperation in disaster management whereby the two will be coordinate in setting up early warning systems, share information on weather monitoring and prediction methods. The Swiss government would offer free assistance in deploying search and rescue teams in the event of a disaster but India would have to make available logistic support at its cost.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal to initiate Parliament’s ratification of the SAARC Convention for Combating Illegal Trafficking of Women and Children for Prostitution so that legislative measures are put in place to implement the convention. The convention seeks to promote cooperation amongst member states to check the menace of trafficking of women and children from Nepal and Bangladesh to India and Pakistan for immoral purposes.

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It also gave post facto approval to a 10-year bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement with Republic of Belarus aimed at improving the investment climate among the two countries. The BIPA will accord most favoured nation treatment to investments and MFN treatment to investors.

The Cabinet also approved ex-post facto the extradition treaty between India and Ukraine which was signed last October to suppress crime.

C P Radharishnan is currently serving as the Governor of Maharashtra.

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