07 May 2022 - Government Data Roundup: Monthly payroll reporting, CRS, reports on currency & finance are among the data released recently
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 7, 2022
In the second edition of the ‘Government Data Roundup’, we cover monthly payroll reporting by MoSPI, Quarterly Report on Employment Scenario, RBI’s report on Currency and Finance 2021-22, Vital Statistics based on Civil Registration System 2020, and Rural Health Statistics.
Making government data available to the public is important as it helps in ensuring transparency in government working & accountability of the various programs undertaken. Public or Government Data is now being extensively used in almost every aspect of governance by policymakers, Central/ State Governments officials, researchers, journalists, etc. The data is also important for creating public value through the following activities:
Considering the significance of data, Factly had launched a fortnightly government data roundup which is a compilation of the data released by the government during the past two weeks with information about the type of the data, the sector to which the data relates, the frequency of release, and a brief about the data. In this second edition of the Government data roundup, we look at some of the important reports released by various ministries across the sectors of health, environment, demography, labour and employment, and finance in the last fortnight up to 05 May 2022.
Brief about the data:
The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation started publishing this data since April 2018 covering the period from September 2017 onwards. Information on the number of subscribers under three major schemes- the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme, the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme and the National Pension Scheme (NPS) is published in these reports.
Key Highlights:
Significance:
The monthly data on the payroll reporting in the country is based on the administrative records available with selected government agencies. It gives different perspectives on the level of employment in the formal sector in the country. However, it does not measure employment at a holistic level.
Brief about the report:
The report provides quarterly updates about employment vacancies, training, and other related parameters for selected nine (9) sectors of the non-farm economy over successive quarters. The nine (9) sectors which account for 85% of the total employment in the non-farm establishments in the country viz; Manufacturing, Construction, Trade, Transport, Education, Health, Accommodation & Restaurants, Information Technology (IT) & Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and Financial Services. Detailed information on the methodology and limitations of the survey was published by Factly earlier.
Key Highlights:
Significance:
The Quarterly Employment Survey report is important as it gives insights into the change of employment over the previous quarters and other related parameters such as sector, size of employment unit, type of employment, etc. But the scope of the survey is restricted to units with 10 or more employees that emerged/were established prior to the 6 Economic Census in 2013-14. Furthermore, the survey is based on either records or responses of the establishments and verification of records has not been done for the collection of data.
Brief about the publication:
Sarvekshana is a biannual technical Journal of the National Statistical Office. The first issue was published in 1977. The latest issue for March 2021 is the 112 issue. The journal publishes analytical articles based on the data collected through NSS, other surveys and censuses. Unpublished papers from students, researchers, Government officials and others working on survey and census data including the methodology adopted are published in the journal.
List of papers published:
Significance:
The journal brings a deeper understanding of the socio-economic development of the country. Numerous perspectives are included in it, including a critical analysis of survey techniques and findings of the NSS Surveys. Moreover, the journal provides a platform for encouraging research and analysis among academia and officials in the Government on various socio-economic aspects especially based on the surveys conducted as part of the National Sample Survey (NSS).
About the report:
This annual report was first published in 1937 and has contributors from the Department of Economic and Policy Research (DEPR). It reviews the economic developments in the country during the previous financial year emphasizing the policy decisions of the Government. Since 1998-99, the report has adopted a theme-based approach, and so a detailed economic analysis of the issues related to the theme is presented in the report.
The theme for the 2020-21 report is “Revive and Reconstruct” focusing on a durable recovery post-COVID. The pandemic struck India hard resulting in among the biggest pandemic-induced losses in the world in terms of output, lives, and livelihoods. While this may take years to recover, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has also affected recovery. Record high commodity prices, weaker global growth outlook and tighter global financial conditions have arisen out of the conflict. Amidst such a scenario, the report has come up with policy suggestions for the growth post the pandemic.
Key Findings:
Significance:
The report lists key areas to focus on, and policy suggestions for economic growth which has a direct impact on people. This year’s report which focuses on the pandemic-induced losses, has also looked at sector-wise structural issues, the need for reviving the rural economy, PLI schemes, labour reforms, etc. and called for ensuring social security of employees.
About the report:
The report gives an overview of the working of the Civil Registration System (CRS) in the country. It presents a compilation of data on registered births, deaths, infant deaths and stillbirths with rural-urban & sex-wise break-up and sex ratio at birth based on Civil Registration Records. The report is prepared based on the statutory Annual Statistical Report prepared by the Chief Registrars of Births & Deaths of States/UTs.
Key findings:
Significance:
Civil Registration is a continuous, permanent, compulsory recording of the occurrence and characteristics of vital events, like births, deaths and stillbirths which are important for planning, monitoring, and evaluating various programs related to primary health care, family planning, maternal and child health, education, etc. This year’s report is significant as it helps evaluate the effect of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the report:
The Rural Health Statistics report is based on the healthcare administrative data provided by states/UTs such as physical infrastructure, functional facilities, and human resources available in the rural, urban, and tribal areas across the country as of 31 March of the financial year for which the report has been made. Data for 2015 and 2021 have been compared in this report.
Key Findings:
Significance:
The statistics in the report are helpful to plan for strengthening the rural healthcare infrastructure by studying the trend, requirements, and availability. Moreover, data on urban health infrastructure has also been included in recent publications to increase the scalability of the publication. The publication also helps in planning and executing programs for ensuring healthcare for all.
In addition to these, the monthly reports on WPI, CPI, etc. have also been released, which have been discussed in the previous roundup.