Dr Sonalde Desai (Professor and Centre Director, NCAER-NDIC) recently participated as a speaker in the second episode of Parisila Perspectives, NCAER’s podcast on macroeconomy and public policy. Hosted by NCAER Director General Mr. Suresh Goyal, the episode explored the theme “Data-led Change, Evidence-led Policy” and featured Dr Desai alongside Mr. Adil Zainulbhai, former Chairman of McKinsey India and former Chairman of the Capacity Building Commission and the Quality Council of India.
During the discussion on the changing landscape of data collection in the context of the growing adoption of artificial intelligence, Dr Desai noted that surveys will continue to serve as a credible source of evidence while advances in AI have the potential to improve processes such as quality monitoring and real-time translation. She also emphasised the importance of exercising caution when using emerging sources of data, highlighting the need for rigorous validation and scientific standards before they are incorporated into research and policymaking.
Mr. Adil Zainulbhai emphasised the value of targeted collaboration between ministry databases with complementary objectives, suggesting that such partnerships could improve efficiency while avoiding the challenges of large-scale data integration.
Further, both Dr Desai and Mr. Zainulbhai discussed the importance of high-quality data in informing evidence-based policymaking and strengthening public institutions. The conversation explored the opportunities and challenges associated with data collection, analysis, and dissemination, drawing on perspectives from research, governance, and practice.
Click on the links below to watch the full two-part episode:
Data-led Change, Evidence-led Policy | Parisila Perspectives | Episode 2 (Part one)
Data-led Change, Evidence-led Policy | Parisila Perspectives | Episode 2 (Part two)
Dr Pallavi Choudhuri (Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, NCAER-NDIC) was invited to deliver a lecture on “Measuring the Outcomes: Gender-Disaggregated Data” at the Capacity Partnership Workshop on Gender-Responsive Agricultural Policy and Data Systems, organised by IFPRI South Asia in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DA&FE), Government of Odisha, on June 23, 2026, in Bhubaneswar.
Dr Choudhuri’s lecture emphasized the importance of integrating gender perspectives into public policy, with a particular focus on evidence-based planning, gender-disaggregated data systems, and institutional mechanisms for advancing gender-responsive agriculture. She also highlighted the critical role of robust data systems in bridging the gap between gender-blind policy design and gender-transformative implementation.
The event brought together senior officials from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, the Department of Women and Child Development, the Department of Mission Shakti, the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department, the ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (CIWA), and other key stakeholder organisations, alongside researchers from IFPRI South Asia. The workshop provided a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and discussions on advancing gender-responsive agricultural policy and data systems.
On Day 1 of the NCAER Workshop on the Economics of AI and Digital Public Infrastructure held on 5–6 June 2026, Mr. Manish Sabharwal, Vice Chairman of the NCAER Governing Board, released the research report, “The Evolving Landscape of Digital Inclusion in India.”
The report is a collaboration between the IHDS Team at NCAER and the Women in Digital Economy Network (WiDEN) at The Quantum Hub (TQH). Drawing on NCAER’s IHDS-III data, it finds that digital participation varies substantially across age, gender, education, and socioeconomic groups, suggesting considerable scope for meaningful engagement.
Dr Sonalde Desai (Professor and Centre-Director, NCAER-NDIC), one of the authors of the report, introduced the report to the gathering. The other authors of the report, namely Dr Dibyasree Ganguly (Associate Fellow, NCAER), Ms. Garima Agarwal (Analyst, Public Policy, The Quantum Hub), Ms. Aparajita Bharati (Founding Partner, The Quantum Hub), Ms. Harshita Vadaddi (Analyst, Public Policy, The Quantum Hub), Ms. Sonakshi Chaudhry (Associate Director, Policy & Partnerships and Chief of Staff, The Quantum Hub) and Dr Pallavi Choudhuri (Senior Fellow and Deputy-Director, NCAER-NDIC) were also present during the launch of the report.
As digital technologies increasingly shape access, the findings highlight the importance of ensuring that digital transformation expands opportunities rather than reproduces existing inequalities.
Read the full report here: https://ncaer.org/publication/the-evolving-landscape-of-digital-inclusion-in-india/
From 7th to 9th May 2026, members of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) Team participated in the Population Association of America (PAA 2026) Annual Meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
NCAER faculty members Sonalde Desai (Professor and Centre Director, NCAER-NDIC), Pallavi Choudhuri (Senior Fellow and Deputy-Director, NCAER-NDIC), Amaresh Dubey (Senior Consultant, NCAER-NDIC), Sharan Sharma (Non-Resident Fellow, NCAER-NDIC), Debasis Barik (Senior Fellow, NCAER), Bijay Chouhan (Senior Data and Systems Specialist, NCAER), Dinesh Tiwari (Fellow, NCAER), Ruchi Jain (Associate Fellow, NCAER), Dibyasree Ganguly (Associate Fellow, NCAER), Athira Vinod (Post-Doctoral Fellow, NCAER), and Jaya Koti (Research Analyst, NCAER), presented their research based on IHDS data in oral sessions, poster presentations and paper presentations at PAA 2026.
Along with Devneel Basudev Goswami (Senior Associate, Partnerships and Communications, NCAER), the team also set up an IHDS booth to showcase the dataset’s research findings and share updates from the third round of IHDS data collection completed in 2024. Visitors to the booth explored IHDS data related publications including research briefs, issues of the IHDS Research Digest and data-related citations and opinion pieces. As an exclusive to the PAA Booth, visitors were also provided with early access to the newly designed IHDS website via QR code-enabled cards, thus allowing users to explore the platform and share their feedback.
Dr Pallavi Choudhuri, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director at NCAER-NDIC, was invited to speak on gender statistics at the “Gender Statistics and Women-led Development” panel, moderated by Dr. Pankaj Srivastava, Statistical Advisor to the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The Capacity Building Workshop on Monitoring Frameworks of SDGs, Environment Accounts, and Gender Statistics, held on March 18 was organized by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and the Government of Bihar, with technical support from UNDP.
