Dear readers

Enumerating India’s population through various data collection mechanisms is an arduous task. Analysing the emerging patterns is yet another humongous chore. And multiplying all that by India’s extent and numbers - makes data collection worth top honours in terms of national pride.

We are more data dependant than we realise. Every programme that this nation launches, is based on data, however skewed that may be. Yes, the roti, kapra, makaan psyche still dominates our collection systems–with poverty, lack of health amenities, female foeticide, uncensored growth of population and many more issues harking for attention. But mainstream data, for example, does not document reading habits of householders–whether newspaper, internet or books. It does not document the quality of food–packaged or fresh. It does not document medicines used, prescribed or unprescribed. It does not put forth a measure for ‘scientific or investigative temperament’ amongst our teachers and professors. The point I am trying to make is that our data collection still does not reveal the quality of our people–it only reveals the quantity. Poor by definition, may not be poor at all - with frugality worth emulation. In the years to come maybe our data collection system would move from basics to superlatives so that we can show the world that India is just not a market–but is a thinking and pulsating body of brilliancy.