There is a large inconsistency between GDP and other data series: Former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg

India’s latest GDP estimates have opened a wider debate on the credibility of official statistics, methodology, data quality and the interpretation of economic growth. While the government has defended the revised numbers citing improved coverage and methodological changes, questions remain over transparency and the sharp revisions in the size of the economy. In written responses to The Hindu , Former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg discusses the government’s defence of India’s economic estimations, his concerns over data quality, alleged political interference in the country’s statistical inquiry, policy implications and the credibility challenges surrounding India’s growth narrative.

India has historically linked new GDP series to old ones through splicing, re-estimation and back-series construction. Why shouldn’t MoSPI construct a transparent bridge between the 2011–12 and 2022–23 series before asking the public to accept the growth rate? What would that bridge need to show?