Bhubaneswar: The Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DE&S), under the Planning and Convergence Department, on Monday inaugurated a two-day workshop on “Harnessing Administrative Data for Efficient Public Service Delivery” at the State Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan, on the occasion of the 20th National Statistics Day.
The workshop was organised in alignment with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation initiative to unlock the potential of administrative data for evidence-based governance.
The event began with a floral tribute to Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, regarded as the architect of modern statistical systems in India.
Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh attended as the chief guest and stressed the need to strengthen the statistical system across all departments.
He said the true tribute to Mahalanobis lies in following his vision. He also underlined the importance of validating administrative data through cross-verification with survey data.
Director of Economics and Statistics Dr. Bijay Bhusan Nanda delivered the welcome address and highlighted various digital initiatives undertaken by DE&S to modernise Odisha’s statistical ecosystem.
On the occasion, Singh launched several digital platforms, including the Data Catalogue and Metadata Management Portal, the STATOdisha mobile application, the e-Tathya progress reporting system, the Integrated Inventory and Asset Management System, the CAPI MIS dashboard, the RIPAE&S website and Learning Management System, the Library Management System, and a GIS-enabled statistical dashboard.
Several key publications were also released, including the Energy Statistics Report 2025, Women and Men Odisha Report 2025, Annual Activity Report 2025-26, EARAS technical reports (2023-24 and 2024-25), First Census of Water Bodies report, Samikhya Journal 2026, district statistical handbooks for 13 districts, Annual Survey of Industries report 2021-22, and Index of Industrial Production 2024.
Three District Planning and Monitoring Units (DPMUs) – Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, and Mayurbhanj – were honoured with the Best Performing DPMU Award for excellence in statistical work.
The two-day workshop also featured discussions on digital transformation of the statistical system, metadata management, data quality assurance, quantum-secure data protection, environmental statistics, and the use of administrative data in policymaking.
Experts from the World Bank, central government, academic institutions, development partner organisations, and various state departments shared national and international best practices. Presentations were also made by the Forest and Environment Department, State Pollution Control Board, Geological Survey of India, and GRIDCO.
The workshop concluded with a consensus on building a modern, technology-enabled statistical system with stronger coordination, interoperability, and institutional collaboration to support timely and evidence-based decision-making.
