The Statistics Wing in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is the apex body in the official statistical system of the country.Its responsibilities include:  

(i)             Acting as the nodal agency for planned development of the statistical system in the country.

(ii)            Coordinating    statistical work with a view   to   identifying gaps in data availability or duplication of statistical work in respect of Departments of the Government of India and State Statistical Bureaus (SSBs) and to suggest necessary remedial measures.

 iii)           Maintaining liaison with International Statistical Organisation, such as, UN, ESCAP, SIAP, IMF, ADB, FAO, ILO, etc. in different statistical matters which cover interchange of statistical intelligence, participation in International conferences, seminars, workshops for the development of statistical system capabilities and serving as clearing house for statistical matters.

(iv)           Laying down and maintenance of norms and standards in   the   field of statistics, involving concepts   and   definitions, methodology of data collection, processing   of data and dissemination of results.

(v)            Advising the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India on statistical methodology and on statistical analysis of data.

(vi)           Preparing    national and regional accounts as well as publication of annual estimates of national product, Government and private consumption expenditure, capital formation, savings, estimates of capital stock and consumption of fixed capital, as also state level gross capital formation of supra-regional sectors, and to prepare comparable estimates of State Domestic Product (SDP) at current prices. 

  (vii)        Compiling and releasing the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) every month in the form of ‘quick estimates’; conducting of Annual Survey of Industries (ASI); and, providing of statistical information to assess and evaluate the changes in the growth, composition and structure of the organised manufacturing sector.

 (viii)         Organising and conducting of periodic All-India Economic Census and follow-up sample surveys.   

 (ix)          Conducting large scale all-India sample surveys for creating data base needed for studying the impact of specific problems for the benefit of different population groups in diverse socio-economic areas such as employment, consumer expenditure, housing conditions and environment, literacy levels, health, nutrition, family welfare, etc. 

(x)            Examining the survey reports from technical angle and evaluation of appropriate sampling design including survey feasibility studies/techno-analytical studies in respect of surveys conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) and other Central Ministries and Departments. 

(xi)           Providing an in-house facility to process the data collected through various socio-economic surveys and follow-up surveys of Economic Censuses conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation and the Central Statistical Organisation. 

(xii)            Disseminating statistical information on various aspects through a number of regular or adhoc publications to Government, semi-Government, or private data users/agencies; and dissemination of data, on request, to United Nations Agencies like United Nations Statistical Organisation, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and International Labour Organisation; and other relevant international agencies. 

(xiii)         Giving grants-in-aid to registered non-governmental organisations and research institutions of repute for undertaking special studies or surveys, printing of statistical reports, and financing seminars, workshops and conferences relating to different subject areas of official statistics. 

(xiii)           Functioning as the Cadre Controlling Authority and dealing with the centralized aspects of managing the Indian Statistical Service including all matters pertaining to training, career planning and manpower planning. 

(xv)      Acting as a nodal Department for the Indian Statistical Institute and ensuring its functioning in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959 (57 of 1959).  

(xvi)     Processing of voluminous data collected by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) through various Socio-Economic Surveys, follow-up surveys of Economic Census and Annual Survey of Industries conducted periodically by the NSSO and CSO and providing computing services and processing and training facilities.