Bhubaneswar: Odisha on Monday hosted a two-day workshop focused on the use of administrative data to improve public service delivery and strengthen evidence-based governance, officials said.
The workshop titled “Harnessing Administrative Data for Efficient Public Service Delivery” was inaugurated at the State Conference Centre of Lok Seva Bhawan on the occasion of the 20th National Statistics Day. It is being organised by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DE&S) under the Department of Planning and Coordination in line with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) push to unlock the potential of administrative data.
Addressing the inaugural session, Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh stressed the need to further strengthen the statistical system across all departments. He said that continuing the vision of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, the architect of India’s modern statistical system, would be the true tribute to his legacy.
Singh highlighted the growing importance of administrative data in governance and said it must be used effectively after proper verification and validation, alongside survey-based data, to support informed decision-making.
Director of Economics and Statistics Dr. Bijay Bhusan Nanda delivered the welcome address and outlined several digital initiatives undertaken by the department to modernise the state’s statistical ecosystem.
On the occasion, the state launched multiple digital platforms, including the Data Catalogue and Metadata Management Portal, STATOdisha mobile application, e-Tathya web-based progress reporting system, Integrated Inventory and Asset Management System, CAPI MIS Dashboard, RIPAE&S website and Learning Management System, Library Management System, and a GIS-enabled statistical dashboard.
Officials said these initiatives are aimed at improving the availability, quality, management, and dissemination of official statistics in the state.
Several key publications were also released during the event, including the Energy Statistics Report 2025, Women and Men in Odisha 2025, Annual Activity Report 2025–26, EARAS technical reports for 2023–24 and 2024–25, the First Census of Water Bodies Report, Samikhya Journal 2026, District Statistical Handbooks for 13 districts (2024), Annual Survey of Industries Report 2021–22, and the Index of Industrial Production 2024.
The District Planning and Monitoring Units (DPMUs) of Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, and Mayurbhanj were awarded for their performance in statistical activities.
Manas Ranjan Samal, OSD, DE&S, delivered the vote of thanks and also highlighted challenges in integrating administrative data systems in the state and suggested possible solutions.
The workshop will continue over two days, with discussions focusing on digital transformation of statistical systems, metadata management, data quality assurance, secure data systems, environmental statistics, and the use of administrative data in policymaking.
Experts from the World Bank, central government, academia, development partners, and various state departments are participating in the deliberations. Presentations on innovative use of administrative data were also made by the Forest and Environment Department, State Pollution Control Board, Geological Survey of India, and GRIDCO.
The workshop is expected to conclude with recommendations on strengthening data integration, institutional coordination, and technological adoption for more efficient and transparent governance in the state.
