The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), which has been criticized severely about the credibility of official economic data and the abrupt shelving of official reports has formed a reform panel which also comprises some critics, reported The Indian Express. The move comes as the government has increasingly faced scrutiny for withholding uncomfortable data.

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The 28-member Standing Committee on Economic Statistics (SCES) will be headed by India’s first chief statistician, Pronab Sen, who has been critical of the government's handling of data and reports. The committee includes academicians, CP Chandrasekhar, Hema Swaminathan, and Jeemol Unni, the report added. The trio were part of a joint statement signed by 108 economists and social scientists that flagged concerns over “political interference” in influencing statistical data in the country last March.

The new standing committee, which has ten non-official and 16 official members, will review work for economic indicators related to the industrial sector, the services sector and the labour force statistics, an order dated December 6 said. The committee is all set to meet for the first time on January 7, the report said.

The move to include the vocal critics of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the committee indicates that the government has taken note of objections raised against the handling of uncomfortable data, the report added.