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Wednesday, April 8, 2026
TopicStatistics

Topic: Statistics

India has a global reputation for unbiased, credible statistical surveys. That’s at risk now

Facts cannot become subjects of debate. So when the census is not conducted, and an eminent statistician who was calling for it gets fired quietly, it’s time to worry.

‘Use of data for decision-making’ is theme for this year’s ‘Statistics Day’

The government of India established 'Statistics Day' in 2007. It is celebrated every year on June 29.

Poverty estimates the new weapons in India’s statistics war. But confusion began decades ago

At one point, India was the leading developing country that created a statistical system to monitor living standards. But today, there is rank confusion.

Statistics pioneer CR Rao, ‘father’ of Indian statistical education, passes away at 102

Legendary statistician CR Rao has been a recipient of not just the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, but also the prestigious International Prize in Statistics, awarded in 2023.

SubscriberWrites: Data assessment helps test the veracity of situations. But is also easily manipulated

The key to accuracy of results is proper collection and integrity of the data. Otherwise, the whole exercise is useless, writes Col KL Viswanathan.

Modi govt was handed weak data institutions by Congress, but it ruined them further

The BJP’s 2014 manifesto promised ‘real-time data’. Now, the Modi government has no data on migrant workers’ deaths during Covid pandemic.

Legendary statistician CR Rao, credited with restructuring field of statistics, turns 100

Indian-American statistician CR Rao is known for making seminal contributions to statistics such as development of Cramér-Rao Lower Bound, Rao-Blackwellization, & Lagrange multiplier test.

Credibility of India’s statistics back in question over official inflation data

Economists aren’t buying the Statistics Department’s methodology for calculating India’s consumer price inflation numbers for April and May.

World is talking in R0 values and infection rates, but coronavirus doesn’t care for such data

Averages are useful, to know where we're at in dealing with the pandemic, but there will be further flare-ups, easily large enough to overwhelm local resources.

On Camera

Rahul Gandhi wants to jail Himanta Sarma but Congress has a Bihar-sized problem in Assam

The Congress has promised Rs 50,000 assistance to each woman but as we've seen in many recent elections, voters seem to be conscious of the proverb: 'A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.'

Stocks fall, oil prices climb as Trump issues fresh threat to Iran ahead of his deadline

Fears that an escalation of the conflict could heighten a fuel squeeze & endanger the economy unnerved traders, with NYT reporting Iran stopped negotiating a truce with the US.

UAE walks away from financing Rafale F5 due to restricted access to technology, reports French media

French newspaper La Tribune earlier last week indicated that UAE withdrew from deal to fund EUR 3.5 billion. India is looking to order 114 new Rafales, which could include the F5.

China insulated itself against energy shocks. India is ‘all talk, no walk’

China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.