Discuss the contributions of Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis to Indian economic planning and statistical science. How does the annual observance of Statistics Day reflect the institutionalisation of evidence-based governance in India?

Q. Discuss the contributions of Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis to Indian economic planning and statistical science. How does the annual observance of Statistics Day reflect the institutionalisation of evidence-based governance in India? (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, whose birth anniversary is observed nationally as Statistics Day on 29 June [1], built both the intellectual tools and the institutions that allow the Indian state to measure itself — making him the bridge between statistical science and public policy.

Contributions to statistical science - Founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata (1931), declared an Institution of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in 1959 [2]. - Devised the Mahalanobis Distance (1936), a multivariate measure still used worldwide in classification and outlier detection. - Pioneered large-scale random sampling and pilot surveys, giving India a cost-effective alternative to complete enumeration. - Institutionalised this through the National Sample Survey (1950), whose 75-year legacy was the theme of the 19th Statistics Day [3], and which survives today under the NSO, formed in 2019 by merging the CSO and NSSO [2].

Contributions to economic planning - Member of the first Planning Commission, he insisted that plan targets rest on measured data rather than assumption. - The Mahalanobis model — prioritising heavy and capital goods industries for long-run growth — formed the analytical core of the Second Five-Year Plan. - He thus fused statistics with allocation decisions, establishing quantification as a routine instrument of Indian governance.

Statistics Day and evidence-based governance - Celebrated since 2007, its 20th edition (2026) was held at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi [1], with the release of the SDG–National Indicator Framework Progress Report linking statistics to development monitoring [4]. - Annual themes track live reform: 2026's "Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data" [1] pushes use of tax, GST and other administrative records to cut survey cost and time lag. - Public outreach, awards and platforms like eSankhyiki [2] deepen statistical literacy beyond officialdom.

Mahalanobis's legacy is not merely technique but the norm that policy must be answerable to evidence. Sustaining it now requires integrating administrative data while safeguarding privacy under the DPDP Act, 2023 — so that a strengthened, autonomous statistical system continues to anchor India's SDG commitments and welfare delivery.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. MoSPI to Celebrate the 20th Statistics Day on 29th June 2026, PIB — 29 June observance, 20th edition, venue, 2026 theme 2. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), official website — ISI's founding and INI status, NSO formation in 2019, eSankhyiki portal 3. MoSPI Celebrates 19th Statistics Day — theme '75 Years of National Sample Survey', PIB — NSS's 75-year legacy and 2025 theme 4. MoSPI Celebrated 20th Statistics Day with the theme 'Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data', PIB — release of SDG–NIF Progress Report 2026 and awards