National Statistics Day 2023: Date, Theme, Significance and History

National Statistics Day is commemorated annually on June 29 to honor the significant contributions made by Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics and economic planning. Often hailed as the ‘father of Indian statistics,’ Professor Mahalanobis is renowned for developing the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure utilized to determine the disparity between a point and a distribution.

The Statistics Day 2023 event is taking place at the Scope Convention Centre, Scope Complex, Lodhi Road in New Delhi. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Rao Inderjit Singh, will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Theme for National Statistics Day 2023

The theme of National Statistics Day, 2023 is “Alignment of State Indicator Framework with National Indicator Framework for Monitoring Sustainable Development Goals”.

Significance of National Statistics Day 2023

The significance of Statistics Day is to create public awareness in the young generation about the role and importance of statistics in strategizing, economic planning and policy formulation. The occasion is celebrated as a reminder to learn from the achievements of Professor Mahalanobis in the field of statistics.

History of National Statistics Day 2023

Indian government designated 29th June as National Statistics Day in recognition of the contributions made by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics and economic planning on June 5, 2007. The first National Statistics Day was celebrated on June 29, 2007 and it has been celebrated on the same day since then.

Professor Mahalanobis was part of the first planning commission of India and was instrumental in establishing the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in 1931.

Who was Prof Mahalanobis?

• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis or Prof Mahalanobis was born on June 29, 1893, in Kolkata. He was a scientist and statistician and is best known for devising the “Mahalanobis Distance,” which is utilised in classification and cluster analysis. This formula is based on measurements in multiple dimensions and helps determine the distance between a point and its distribution points.
• He was also a member of India’s first planning commission, where he utilised his knowledge and expertise to develop the country’s annual plan and oversee its implementation.
• Prof Mahalanobis also established the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in 1950. The public university was deemed an institute of national importance by the 1959 Act of the Indian Parliament.
• He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1968 for his contribution to the sciences and for his service to the country.
• Prof Mahalanobis passed away at the age of 78 on June 28, 1972, just a day before his 79th birthday in Kolkata.

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