The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation gives considerable importance to coverage and quality aspects of statistics released in the country. The statistics released are based on administrative sources, surveys and censuses conducted by the Center and State Governments and non-official sources and studies. The surveys are designed by using scientific sampling methods. Field data are collected through dedicated field staff. The methodological issues concerning the compilation of national accounts and other statistics are overseen by the Advisory Committee on National Accounts, Standing Committee on Industrial Statistics and Technical Advisory Committee on Price Indices. The Ministry compiles data sets based on current data, after applying standard statistical techniques and extensive scrutiny.

India subscribes to the International Monetary Funds (IMF) Special Data Dissemination Standards (SDDS) and is currently fulfilling the Standards. The Ministry maintains an ‘Advance Release Calendar’ for dissemination on the Ministry’s website as well as on the Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) of the IMF. The Ministry releases the data sets covered under the Real Sector of SDDS through press notes and its website simultaneously. The Ministry has been designated as the nodal Ministry to facilitate the implementation of the SAARC Social Charter in India. The Ministry organizes technical meetings on a regular basis on various topics to assess the data gaps in the system and the quality of statistics currently released.The Ministry’s officials have been associated with international agencies on the development of methodologies, particularly in the area of national accounts, informal sector statistics, large-scale sample surveys, conduct of censuses, service sector statistics, non-observed economy, social sector statistics, environmental statistics and classifications.

The Statistics Wing is mandated with the following responsibilities:

1. acts as the nodal agency for planned development of the statistical system in the country
2. lays down and maintains norms and standards in the field of statistics
3. coordinates the statistical work in respect of the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India and State Statistical Bureaus (SSBs)
4. prepares national accounts (including Gross Domestic Product) as well as publishes annual estimates of national product, Government and Private final consumption expenditure, Capital Formation, Savings, etc.  and comparable estimates of State Domestic Product (SDP)
5. compiles and releases Consumer Price Index (CPI) Numbers and Annual Inflation rates based on these CPI numbers
6. maintains liaison with International Statistical Organizations, such as, the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), ESCAP, the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP), IMF, ADB, FAO, ILO, etc
7. compiles and brings out reports as per the international/regional commitments such as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) India Country Report and SAARC Development Goals India Country Report
8. compiles and releases the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) every month; conducts the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI); and provides statistical information to assess and evaluate the changes in the growth, composition and structure of the organized manufacturing sector
9. organizes and conducts periodic all-India Economic Censuses and follow-up enterprise surveys
10. conducts large scale all-India sample surveys for creating the database needed for studying the impact of specific problems for the benefit of different population groups in diverse socio economic areas, such as employment, consumer expenditure, housing conditions and environment, literacy levels, health, nutrition, family welfare, etc.