National Statistics Day 2023: Theme, History, Significance & Celebration of National Statistics Day in India

National Statistics Day is observed in India every year on June 29 with the aim to raise awareness of the importance of statistics in the planning and development process and also in everyday life. The day also marks the birth anniversary of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis and recognizes the contributions made by him in the fields of statistics and economic planning. This article provides significant details related to National Statistics Day 2023 such as its history, celebration, theme, importance, and more.

National Statistics Day 2023 Quick Overview

National Statistics Day Upcoming Events

Below mentioned are the upcoming dates for National Statistics Day for the upcoming 5 years.

Significance of National Statistics Day

National Statistics Day is observed in India to honor Professor Mahalanobis and his contributions and promote the use of statistics in daily life. In addition to this, the day also raises public awareness of the role that statistics play in formulating and affecting public policies. National Statistics Day also raises public awareness about the role of statistics in socio-economic planning especially among the younger generation.

Who was Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis?

Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis was an Indian scientist and statistician who was also one of the members of the first Planning Commission of free India. He is known for the discovery of the Mahalanobis distance and also for the designing of large-scale sample surveys. Mahalanobis also did groundbreaking studies in the field of anthropometry and founded the Indian Statistical Institute. For his contributions to the field of statistics, he has been awarded many honors including OBE, FNA, FASc, & FRS, and his birth anniversary June 29 is celebrated as National Statistics Day in India.

Mahalanobis’ Contribution to the Society

Other than Mahalanobis distance and large-scale sample surveys, Professor Prasanta is also known for introducing the concept of pilot surveys and advocating the importance of sampling methods. His notable contribution, the Mahalanobis distance, is one of the most important and widely used metrics to find out how much a point diverges from a distribution.

History of National Statistics Day

In 2006, the Government of India decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis as National Statistics Day to honor his contributions to statistics. Thus,  Following this, a proclamation was released in the Indian Gazette on June 5, 2007, and the first National Statistics Day was observed on June 29, 2007. Since then, the event has been observed on an annual basis.

Observation of National Statistics Day 2023

The Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) is in charge of planning National Statistics Day. On this occasion, MoSPI organizes various events and also recognizes outstanding contributions to the official statistical system. Awards are presented to statisticians for their high-quality research in the fields of applied and theoretical statistics. Seminars, conferences, discussions, and contests are held to raise awareness of the role of official statistics in nationwide progress. Every year, Statistics Day is observed with a theme of current national importance, and a brief presentation on the theme is also made by the MoSPI.

Check other Special Days in June

Theme for National Statistics Day 2023

Every year, the celebration of National Statistics Day is carried out according to the theme decided by the MoSPI. The theme of the year 2023 is “Alignment of State Indicator Framework with National Indicator Framework for Monitoring Sustainable Development Goals”.

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