India to set new data standards in G20 stint

Data is today the world’s most valuable resource and is essential for nuanced and effective policymaking. Stating this, Amitabh Kant, India’s G-20 Sherpa and former CEO of Niti Aayog, said India in its G20 presidency, will call for modernisation of data systems and advance principles of transparency to better use of data for development. In an article in a newspaper, he said as India step into techade, data must be accessible to all and we must adopt a multisectoral approach to collecting, integrating and interpreting data.

Amitabh Kant said that in the dense forests of Maharashtra, a novel data collection tool is changing the lives of children with malnutrition. However, he said, in the last few years, the Integrated Child Development Services have been able to contain and bring down malnutrition rates with the help of the Poshan Tracker application.

Mr. Kant said Data forms the bedrock on which today’s knowledge pyramid rises towards awareness, understanding and finally, wisdom, which is essential for nuanced and effective policymaking. He said the G20 presidency of India will be pivotal for this wisdom to be democratically accessible, affordable, and available for nation-states across the world.

The World Development Report 2021 asserts that there is a need for forging a new social contract for data which finally fosters trust such that people are protected from the harms of data misuse. Mr. Kant said we must construct new rules for this data age, and the road ahead signals some critical but surmountable challenges.

India’s G20 Presidency, Mr. Kant said, is an opportune time to set a new gold standard for data. He called for modernisation of national data systems to incorporate citizen voices and preferences regularly and finally brings to the forefront the need for strategic leadership on data for sustainable development.