(26 March 2024) Government Data Roundup: HLC Report on One Nation, One Election, National Cooperative Database, Energy Statistics Report Among Those Released Recently.

In this 45th edition of fortnightly government data roundup, we look at the High-Level Committee’s report on One Nation, One Election, National Cooperative Database 2023: A Report, Annual Report of Ombudsman Schemes 2022-23, Energy Statistics India 2024, Coal Directory of India 2022-23 among others.

The importance of government reports cannot be overstated, as they serve as vital tools for policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to assess the state of various sectors, make informed decisions, and drive meaningful change. In this backdrop, we look at some of the key reports released in the last few weeks, such as the High-Level Committee’s report on One Nation, One Election – Simultaneous Elections core to Aspirational India, National Cooperative Database 2023: A Report, Annual Report of Ombudsman Schemes 2022-23, Energy Statistics India 2024, Coal Directory of India 2022-23, and Press Release on Results of Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2022-23, in the 45^th edition of Factly’s Fortnightly Government Data Roundup. These reports provide valuable insights and data that contribute to shaping policies, strategies, and initiatives for the betterment of the nation.

High level Committee report on One Nation, One Election

Brief about the report:

The report by the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, led by Ram Nath Kovind, the former President of India, was released by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The primary purpose of the report was to examine the feasibility, benefits, and challenges of holding simultaneous elections at various levels of government, including national, state, municipal, and panchayat elections, all within a synchronized timeframe. The report, spanning 18,626 pages, was prepared through consultations with stakeholders, experts and 191 days of research since the committee’s establishment on 02 September 2023.

Key recommendations of the committee:

• According to the committee, the recommendations are crafted to align with the existing framework of the Constitution of India, requiring minimal amendments. This approach ensures that the recommendations are in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution.
• The committee recommends a two-step approach to achieve simultaneous elections. Firstly, simultaneous elections will be conducted for the Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. Secondly, elections for Municipalities and Panchayats will be synchronized with national and state elections, ensuring they are held within a hundred days of the former.
• The committee proposes the establishment of a single electoral roll and Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) for use in elections at all levels of government. This measure aims to streamline the electoral process and enhance efficiency.
• It also recommended advance planning for equipment, manpower, and security forces to effectively hold simultaneous polls to ensure the smooth conduct of elections at all levels of government concurrently.
• The committee believes that implementing simultaneous elections will significantly enhance transparency, inclusivity, ease, and voter confidence.

National Cooperative Database 2023: A Report

About the report:

Recently, the Home Minister launched the National Cooperative Database 2023. The Database is a comprehensive web-based platform that captures data from cooperative societies, including National/State Federations. It includes information such as registered names, dates, locations, membership numbers, sectoral details, operational areas, economic activities, financial statements, audit statuses, and more. This centralized repository provides a detailed overview of the cooperative landscape, facilitating effective planning and analysis in the cooperative sector. Along with the dashboard, the report on the same was also unveiled.

Key figures from the report:

• India has 29 primary cooperatives, with more than 8 lakh societies and a membership count exceeding 29 crores across various sectors.
• The Agriculture/Allied Cooperatives sector, with 76 federations, has more than 98 lakh members and nearly 26,800 societies, showcasing a significant impact on rural development.
• PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies) alone serve 13.99 crore members through 1.04 lakh societies, reflecting their extensive reach and influence in agricultural credit.
• Dairy Cooperatives boast 73 federations with close to 1.42 lakh societies and a massive membership of more than 1.56 crore highlighting their substantial role in dairy sector development.
• Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) operate in 1,502 societies, primarily aiding financial inclusion with 11 federations and a membership count of 1.5 crores.
• Transport and Tourism Cooperatives contribute significantly with 4,163 societies in the transport sector and 459 societies in tourism, fostering economic growth and cultural preservation.
• The report underscores the vital role of cooperative societies in India as catalysts for socio-economic development, promoting a sense of community and shared prosperity. These societies contribute significantly to inclusive growth and empowerment, playing a pivotal role in navigating the complexities of India’s dynamic economic landscape.

Annual Report of Ombudsman Schemes, 2022-23

Brief about the report:

The Annual Report of the Ombudsman Scheme 2022-23 provides valuable insights and information on the progress and effectiveness of the ombudsman scheme in protecting customer interests in the finance sector. This report is the second one after the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) was launched in 2021. It is also the first standalone report released under RB-IOS.  A detailed story by Factly on complaints received by the Ombudsman for banking-related issues can be read here.

Key findings of the report:

• The Annual Report shows a notable increase of 68.24% in complaints received by the RBI Ombudsmen and the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) compared to the previous year.
• About 7 lakh cases were reported of which 234,690 were handled by ORBIOs (Office of the Reserve Bank of India Ombudsman), and the remaining nearly 4.7 lakh cases were resolved by the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre.
• Around 85.64% of the total complaints were received through digital platforms such as the online Complaint Management System (CMS) portal, email, and CPGRAMS, highlighting the shift towards digital grievance redressal mechanisms.
• The overall disposal rate for complaints at the RBI Ombudsmen (ORBIOs) stood at an impressive 97.99%, showcasing the effective handling and resolution of grievances within a reasonable time frame.
• A majority (57.48%) of maintainable complaints were resolved through mutual settlement or mediation.

Energy Statistics India 2024

About the report:

The Energy Statistics India 2024 report is a comprehensive publication aligned with international standards, offering insights into India’s energy landscape. It covers reserves, generation potential, installed capacity, production statistics, imports-exports, prices, energy availability, consumption patterns, and overall energy balance. Data is sourced from government ministries forms the basis of the report, showcasing India’s commitment to reliable, sustainable, and efficient energy systems. This is the 31st edition of the report published annually.

Key findings:

• India’s coal reserves stood at 361.41 billion tonnes as of April 2022, with a 2.64% increase over the previous year. Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh hold about 69% of India’s total coal reserves.
• The country has 23 refineries as of March 2023, 19 in the Public Sector, 4 in the Private sector and Joint Venture, with a total refining capacity of 2,53,916 TMTPA.
• The country’s refining capacity saw an addition of 2700 TMTPA in 2022-23, with public sector refineries dominating over 61% of the total capacity.
• Coal production in India increased by 14.77% in 2022-23, reaching 893.19 million tonnes, while lignite production decreased by 5.27% to 44.99 million tonnes. Crude oil production declined by 1.72% to 29.18 million tonnes. Renewable energy, particularly electricity generation, showed significant growth with a CAGR of 6.44%.
• During the fiscal year 2022-23, India witnessed a steady growth rate in consumption of coal, crude oil, and electricity. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, these sectors showed healthy growth rates, indicating a steady recovery of the Indian economy.

Coal Directory of India 2022-23

About the report:

The publication offers in-depth information on key aspects like coal reserves, production, productivity, stockpile at mining sites, performance of both captive and commercial coal blocks, distribution to different sectors based on grades, import-export figures, coal washeries, and various levies, among others. This comprehensive data equips stakeholders with reliable insights for making informed decisions, ultimately fostering the sustainable growth of the coal and lignite sector. While the Energy Statistics report seen earlier talks about all types of energy, including coal, the Coal Directory only covers information about coal and lignite.

Key statistics highlighted in the report:

• In 2022-23 the total production of raw coal in the country was 893.191 MT, including 60.759 MT of coking and 832.432 MT of non-coking coal. A growth of more than 14.5% in the overall production of coal was witnessed in 2022-23 over 2021-22.
• Odisha had the highest coal production (24.52%), followed by Chhattisgarh (20.7%), Jharkhand (17.52%), and Madhya Pradesh (16.35%). Tamil Nadu was the largest producer of lignite accounting for 48.87% of the total production.
• The total coal import was 237.668 MT in 2022-23, up by 13.9% since 2021-22. The imports were mainly from Indonesia, Australia, and Russia.
• The export of Coal was at 1.166 MT in 2022-23, down from 1.316 MT in 2021-22. It was mainly exported to the neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bangladesh.
• The total coal extracted from 1950 to 2022-23 was almost 19 billion tonnes.

Press Release on Results of Household Consumption Expenditure Survey: 2022-23 Factsheet

Brief about the publication:

The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, conducted the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) from August 2022 to July 2023 covering 2.61 lakh households (including 1.5 lakh in rural areas and 1.06 lakh in urban areas) across the country. This survey focuses on estimating household Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) and its distribution across rural and urban areas, States, Union Territories, and various socio-economic groups within the country.

In the survey, the usual method of estimating consumption values, including items like home-grown produce and gifts has been continued. Additionally, they collected information on free consumption through social welfare programs and estimated the values of these items. A fact sheet of the survey was published by MoSPI.

Significant findings:

• Urban household MPCE increased by 33.5% since 2011-12 to Rs. 3,510, while rural MPCE increased by 40.42% to Rs. 2,008 in 2022-23.
• Food items accounted for 46% of rural household expenditure and 39% of urban household expenditure in 2022-23.
• The bottom 5% of rural population had an average MPCE of Rs. 1,373, compared to Rs. 2,001 for the same group in urban areas.
• The top 5% of rural and urban population had an average MPCE of Rs.10,501 and Rs. 20,824, respectively.
• Sikkim had the highest MPCE in both rural (Rs. 7,731) and urban areas (Rs. 12,105), while Chhattisgarh had the lowest with Rs.2,466 for rural households and Rs.4,483 for urban households.