New Delhi, Jun 24 (PTI) Niti Aayog on Tuesday emphasised the urgent need for robust data quality to fortify digital governance, cultivate public trust, and ensure efficient service delivery.
The government think tank released the third edition of its quarterly insights series Future Front, titled 'India's Data Imperative: The Pivot Towards Quality'.
The report critically examines the pervasive challenges posed by poor data quality and introduces practical, easy-to-use tools: a Data-Quality Scorecard to measure and track data quality attributes, and a Data-Quality Maturity Framework for self-assessment and roadmap development.
"India's digital future will be shaped not just by how many platforms we build, but by how much trust we build into them. And that begins with data that's ready to serve," the report said.
The report was released by Niti Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam, Secretary of MoSPI Saurabh Garg, and Aayog's Distinguished Fellow Debjani Ghosh.
Speaking at the occasion, Subrahmanyam stressed the importance of standardised data, and said, "All of our systems in the country are legacy systems. They were designed for a pen and paper era. They were not designed for a digital era".
He further said people with long names or single-word names face problems in filling forms and completing KYC, as the present system is mainly designed for first name and surname or family name.
Recalling his experience, the Niti Aayog CEO said he faced difficulties because of his long name.
The report further noted that while India's digital foundation is in place, the challenge now is ensuring that what flows through it is accurate, complete, and trusted.
"Data quality is no longer a back-end concern; it is central to public trust, effective service delivery, and the success of India's own AI ecosystem," it said.
It said the data problem cannot be solved by technology alone.
"True change requires cultural shift - where quality is everyone's responsibility, not just the IT teams. From frontline staff to policy makers, every actor must see themselves as a data steward," the report said.
States can lead the way by embedding data quality cells, linking quality to service outcomes, and recognising excellence.
Capacity building, leadership development, and hands-on support will be essential to sustain momentum, it added.