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Cabinet approves Rs 4,371 crore VISTAR scheme to overhaul official statistics

The five-year scheme funds real-time, AI-ready data and the eighth Economic Census, shaping the data that policymakers and businesses rely on.

Photo: The Tribune

What happened

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Viksit Bharat Initiative for Statistical Transformation, Analytics & Research (VISTAR) on November 4. pmindia.gov.in+1 The central sector scheme runs from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 with an outlay of Rs 4,371.10 crore. pmindia.gov.in It is designed to build a dynamic, real-time and future-ready official statistical architecture with better timeliness, data granularity and interoperability, using harmonised and AI-ready datasets. pmindia.gov.in VISTAR will cover all statistical and data management activities of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). pmindia.gov.in It will also support the eighth Economic Census, which will collect detailed information on non-farm establishments and their workers down to Gram Panchayat and ward levels. Business Today

Around it

The scheme is meant to give flexibility to allocate resources according to immediate policy needs, covering large-scale survey execution, methodological research, digital transformation and national data governance. pmindia.gov.in The Cabinet also approved a Rs 14,500 crore viability gap funding scheme for 92 GWh of grid-scale energy storage, and cleared 850 fast-track courts at the same meeting. Business Today Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that of the 92 GWh, 30 GWh will be battery storage and 60 GWh pumped storage; the Cabinet also took up critical minerals processing. The Tribune

Sources

  1. pmindia.gov.inCabinet approves ‘Viksit Bharat Initiative for Statistical Transformation, Analytics & Research (VISTAR)’, a central sector scheme for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31
  2. Business TodayCabinet approves Rs 14,500 cr energy storage scheme, Rs 4,371 cr VISTAR plan; 850 fast track courts cleared
  3. The TribuneCabinet approves 92 GWh energy storage scheme, critical minerals processing, and statistical revamp

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