Dismal scenario | Mint

The director of the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), which conducts India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS), was reportedly suspended by the government to enable a probe of alleged staffing irregularities. This news can’t escape the context of a controversy over data quality in recent years. Among other surveys, NFHS has lately faced criticism from within the establishment for painting an overly bleak picture by giving rural inputs more weight than warranted. Meanwhile, the Centre’s record of holding up bright results and dismissing dismal findings has provoked charges of data brazenly being used as a political prop rather than a policy informer. A slugfest over statistics has had the effect of casting a wide clutch of numbers in doubt. Sadly, it is unclear if accurate economic, social, family, employment, health and other indicators are being used to improve the lives of people. Whatever the details of the IIPS director’s case, it’s a sad commentary on today’s state of affairs that suspicions have arisen of an attempted ouster for reasons other than those stated. Confidence in the country’s statistical system can’t keep taking blows.