New Delhi: Niti Aayog former Vice Chairman and internationally acclaimed economist, Arvind Panagariya, have criticized those who have questioned the credibility of statistical data.
In an interview to PTI, Panagariya, said that the 100 strong economists and sociologists who questioned the data of the Centre Statistical Organization (CSO) must identify precisely which part of the organization’s methodology they found problematic.
He also said that a 40-page document explained the methodology used by the organization and no one has actually pointed out any flaws in it.
He also claimed that international organizations like the United Nations, World Bank, and IMF have relied on these statistics and haven’t expressed any doubts in the statistical organization or in the data provided by CSO.
The Columbia University professor said, “None of the international institutions including the World Bank, IMF, and the United Nations, have expressed any doubt in the integrity of our statistical institutions or the numbers these institutions generate. Nor have I seen any objective evidence that the institutions have tried to fudge their data on their own or at the behest of any other government departments.”
His remarks come in response after 100 economists and sociologists questioned the genuineness of the statistical data provided by the CSO. They accuse the CSO of giving out wrong data concerning employment and growth.
Arvind Panagariya then goes on to laud Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for his major success in social sector programmes like Ayushman Bharat, PM-KISAN and rural electrification.
He also said that the government has made ‘unprecedented progress’ in tackling corruption.
The economist cites three reforms that have been a game changer. The Goods and Service Tax (GST), Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
He claimed that the Modi government have succeeded to accelerate infrastructure development like building roads, railways, waterways, civil aviation, and digitization.
Arvind Panagariya is an Indian-American economist and professor at the Columbia University. He served as Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog for two years. He has also worked as Chief Economist at the Asian Development Bank and at international organizations like World Bank, IMF, UNCTAD, etc.
