National Statistical Systems Training Academy Celebrates 18th Foundation Day

The National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), celebrated its 18th Foundation Day at Mahalanobis Auditorium, Knowledge Park-II, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The theme for this year was: “Reimagining Capacity Building for Official Statistics to Achieve Vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.”

The event highlighted NSSTA’s journey as a premier Central Training Institute dedicated to strengthening India’s official statistical system through skill development, ethical standards, and technological advancement.

Key Highlights of the Event

Focus on Capacity Building

Shri P. R. Meshram, Director General (Data Governance), emphasized that modern capacity building goes beyond traditional training and must invest in:

• People
• Processes
• Platforms

He stressed the importance of communication skills in making statistics understandable to the public.

Address by Union Minister

Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh highlighted that:

• Statistics is the foundation of evidence-based governance.
• Capacity building must adopt Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning.
• Strong institutions are built by capable people.

He aligned the initiative with the philosophy of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas.

Data as the Fifth Factor of Production

Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI, described data as the “fifth factor of production”, alongside land, labour, capital, and technology. He highlighted:

• Restructuring of the Indian Statistical Service (ISS)
• Deployment of ISS officers across 60 ministries
• Focus on district-level granular data dissemination

Digital Data Lab Inaugurated

The Union Minister inaugurated the Digital Data Lab, aimed at:

• Promoting digital skilling
• Providing hands-on training in emerging technologies
• Supporting AI-enabled statistical systems
• Strengthening Mission Karmayogi

International Recognition

Mr. Stefan Priesner, UN Resident Coordinator, described statistics as the “grammar of development”, essential for achieving:

• UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030
• India’s Vision 2047

Other Highlights

• Release of journals “AAROHAN” and “PRATIBIMB” by ISS probationers.
• Panel discussion on “Communicating Statistics to Policymakers and the Public.”
• Certificates awarded to top performers in iGOT Karmayogi courses.

Significance

The 18th Foundation Day celebration reaffirmed NSSTA’s commitment to:

• Strengthening official statistics
• Enhancing governance through data-driven policymaking
• Integrating AI and advanced analytics
• Building a future-ready statistical workforce

The event aligns with India’s long-term development vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, emphasizing that robust data systems are central to effective governance and inclusive growth.

Exam-Oriented MCQs

Q1. The National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA) functions under which ministry?
(a) Ministry of Finance
(b) Ministry of Home Affairs
(c) Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(d) Ministry of Education
(e) Ministry of Skill Development

Q2. The theme of NSSTA’s 18th Foundation Day celebration was:
(a) Data for Digital India
(b) Statistics for Sustainable Growth
(c) Reimagining Capacity Building for Official Statistics to achieve Vision of Viksit Bharat@2047
(d) AI for Governance
(e) Mission Karmayogi in Action

Q3. NSSTA is located at:
(a) Gurugram, Haryana
(b) Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
(c) Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
(d) New Delhi
(e) Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Q4. During the Foundation Day event, which facility was inaugurated to promote digital skilling and AI-based training?
(a) Data Innovation Centre
(b) AI Research Lab
(c) Digital Data Lab
(d) National Data Hub
(e) Statistical Technology Centre

Q5. The Indian Statistical Service (ISS) restructuring aims to deploy officers across how many ministries?
(a) 40
(b) 50
(c) 55
(d) 60
(e) 75

Q6. According to the event discussion, data was described as which factor of production?
(a) Third factor
(b) Fourth factor
(c) Fifth factor
(d) Sixth factor
(e) Seventh factor