Administrative data must become national asset for better governance: PM’s Principal Secretary

New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister P.K. Mishra on Monday stressed the need to transform India’s fragmented administrative data systems into a strategic national asset, saying that better integration of government datasets can significantly improve governance, policymaking and service delivery while safeguarding privacy and security.

Addressing the 20th Statistics Day event, Mishra said India’s rapid digital transformation has led to the generation of vast amounts of administrative data through government programmes, regulatory institutions and public service delivery mechanisms.

However, he noted that much of this valuable information remains confined within individual ministries and departments, preventing its effective use.

“These datasets contain valuable insights on economic activity, social development, infrastructure creation, financial inclusion, health, education and welfare delivery. Despite their richness and scale, much of this data remains fragmented across ministries, departments and organisations, limiting its full potential for governance and policymaking,” he mentioned.

Mishra emphasised that administrative data should no longer be treated merely as a byproduct of routine departmental processes.

“Instead such information must evolve into a strategic national resource that can help bridge critical data gaps, strengthen policy design and improve the targeting of government schemes,” he noted.

Highlighting the benefits of integrated data systems, he said better use of administrative datasets could enhance programme implementation and enable more efficient delivery of public services. At the same time, he cautioned that efforts to promote data sharing and interoperability must not compromise citizens’ trust.

“Administrative data must evolve from being a byproduct of departmental processes to becoming a strategic national asset,” he said.

He underscored the importance of maintaining privacy, security and confidentiality while expanding data integration across government agencies. According to him, principles such as privacy by design and adherence to existing legal and policy frameworks should guide all initiatives aimed at improving data interoperability.

Mishra also linked the development of trusted and interoperable data systems with India’s growing ambitions in artificial intelligence. He said reliable datasets would serve as the foundation for the responsible and effective adoption of AI in governance and public administration.

–IANS

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