Surjit Bhalla writes: Release 2017-18 consumption data, put all doubt to rest
Surjit Bhalla has called for the release of 2017-18 consumption data to dispel doubts surrounding the accuracy of Indian GDP figures. He suggests separating commentary on Indian data into national accounts data and other data, expressing a preference for accuracy over precision. Bhalla has long advocated for a household income distribution survey, a task never undertaken by Indian statisticians.
Despite being pioneers in world statistical surveys, India has not released unit-level consumption data, despite criticism and censorship since 2014. Bhalla argues that releasing the data would clarify the extent of the issue and remove political doubt over Indian data's credibility.
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