Been Transparent On Data Souces: Top Official Explains 7.8 Per Cent GDP Figure
Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, defended India's 7.8% GDP growth figure against critics. He emphasized that the calculation follows international protocols and uses transparent, corroborated data sources.
Why it matters
The defense addresses ongoing debates among economists regarding the accuracy and methodology of India's economic growth reporting.
The GDP growth rate of 7.8 per cent is based on multiple elements and confirms to the international methodology of calculation, and doubts thrown on it are totally baseless, Dr. Saurabh Garg, the Secretary of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, told NDTV today. "I think we have been very transparent with what data sources we are using and those data sources are available for anyone to cross-check in case they have any doubts on that data," he said in an exclusive interview with Gaurie Dwivedi. These same data sources, he said, are also corroborated by private sector company reports, by GST revenue collections which reflect payments actually made by firms and establishments on sales made, and production data, whether it is steel, cement, electricity or a host of others.The GDP figure has been questioned by economists including former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan, former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg…
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