Let’s not discredit the findings of statistical surveys that are conducted among real respondents
The uncomfortable truth that emerged from the leaked report of the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) is that rural poverty increased substantially between 2011-12 and 2017-18 for the first time in five decades. That this happened during a period of claimed high growth should have led to more research on what went wrong. Instead, there have been attempts to raise questions on the credibility of the data and discredit the National Statistical Office (NSO).
The attempt to discredit the NSO follows a pattern, starting from the leak of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) reports. Fearing more leaks, the NSO has released reports on drinking water, sanitation, education, health and disability. These surveys, which are routine, debunk many claims of the government. Most notable is the finding that only 71.3% households have access to toilets, as against the Centre’s claim of more than 95%. Many of these surveys have reported facts that are inconvenient to the government of the day.
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