Bhubaneswar : Odisha has taken another major stride towards strengthening its data governance framework with the launch of a five-day advanced training programme on “Data Cataloguing using NADA (National Data Archive) – Phase 2,” organised by the Directorate of Economics & Statistics (DE&S) under the Planning & Convergence Department. The programme is being held from November 17 to 21 at the Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies (NCDS), Bhubaneswar.
The inaugural session witnessed the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Mr. Prakash Chandra Mohanty, Additional Secretary, P&C Department and Director of NCDS. He was joined by senior officials including Ms. Rashmi Kabi, FA-cum-Additional Secretary; Dr. Bijaya Bhusan Nanda, Director, Economics & Statistics; Ms. Sudha Priya Das, Director, Evaluation; and international NADA expert Mr. Somnath Sambhudas, who is leading the training.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Mohanty underlined the need for high-quality, well-documented data to support evidence-based governance. He praised DE&S for its progressive initiatives in building a robust statistical ecosystem in the State.
Setting the tone for the programme, Dr. Bijaya Bhusan Nanda stressed that the value of data extends beyond collection—it must be easily accessible and meaningful to users. He emphasised the department’s vision of promoting data democratisation, enabling researchers, policymakers, government departments, and citizens to make better use of official statistics. He also highlighted the importance of simplifying data usage to strengthen evidence-driven decision-making.
The training is being conducted as part of the World Bank-supported Odisha State Capacity and Resilient Growth Programme (OSCRGP), aimed at enhancing transparency, accessibility, and quality across Odisha’s statistical systems. Participants will undergo hands-on sessions on advanced metadata creation, documenting study methodologies, mapping data dictionaries for microdata, and publishing datasets on the NADA platform.
International expert Mr. Somnath Sambhudas is facilitating the sessions, guiding participants through practical exercises, peer review discussions, and group presentations to standardise metadata practices across all DE&S datasets.
Odisha remains a national leader in data dissemination, being the first State to fully operationalise NADA for cataloguing and publishing government datasets for public use. With a dedicated Data Dissemination Policy and Implementation Guidelines already in place, DE&S continues to push for transparent, efficient, and citizen-oriented dissemination of official statistics.
