National Statistics Day 2025

National Statistics Day is observed in India every year on 29th June. This day is celebrated in recognition of the birth anniversary of Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, the first person in modern statistics in India. Mahalanobis is known as the father of Indian statistics. He invented several concepts, including the Mahalanobis Distance. He contributed to the Five-Year Plans of India, which were roadmap documents for India’s economy. National Statistics Day commemorates Mahalanobis’s inputs to economic planning and the actions he took towards data science, statistical building, and building institutions (including the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and the National Sample Survey (NSS)).

Background and Objective of the Day

• The Government of India declared 29 June as National Statistics Day in 2007. The objective behind the event was to promote public awareness on the importance of statistics in the nation building process ensuring policies and developmental planning use statistics.

• The Government of India encourages the use of statistics and evidence- based decision-making in all sectors including health, education, agriculture, and the environment.

• The day reminds that if we ever want to ensure appropriate governance, governance must base its decisions on correct data and statistical conclusions.