MoSPI issued the 2026 guidelines for statistical data dissemination

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MoSPI Statistical Data 2026 Guidelines

Highlights

MoSPI has issued the revised Guidelines for Statistical Data Dissemination for 2026, addressing data privacy, technological changes, and dissemination methods.
The new framework organizes data into shareable (open, registered, restricted) and non-shareable categories, with fees and strict permissions required for commercial use.
For Category B and C data, all users must have a Data Access Agreement/Undertaking, and foreign users can only access data if affiliated with recognized Indian institutions.

This article was translated from the original. Read the original version by our correspondent here.

Key Changes in the Data Access Framework

As the Ministry of Statistics notes in its frequently asked questions document, the revised Guidelines for Statistical Data Dissemination, 2026 aim to accommodate technological advancements, evolving dissemination methods, and increased data privacy requirements under existing legal provisions. This framework applies to the dissemination of statistical data compiled and produced by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and the National Statistics Office.

The guidelines divide data into two main categories: shareable and non-shareable. Shareable data includes open access, registered access, and restricted access categories, while non-shareable data covers records that may pose risks to privacy, identification, or national security.

The open access category includes aggregated or analyzed information and publications, such as national accounts, consumer price indices, and certain industrial and survey reports, which are available on the MoSPI website without registration. The registered access category includes anonymized unit-level and item-level data, which requires registration on the Microdata Portal and is free for non-commercial use but fee-based for commercial use. The restricted access category includes UFS Block Maps, Statistical Business Register data, and certain ASI frame and panel data, which require ministry approval.

Impact on Research, Commercial Use, and Compliance

The new framework clarifies access rules for research institutions, academics, government agencies, and commercial users. According to the document, commercial use includes activities primarily intended for profit, such as developing, marketing, or selling products, services, or reports directly or indirectly from the data.

Non-commercial use includes study, research, and use by agencies of the Government of India and state or union territory governments. For all applicants of Category B and Category C data, a Data Access Agreement or Undertaking is mandatory, under which the applicant legally commits to use the data only for the declared purpose and to comply with applicable rules, including the Data Protection Act.

Foreign users also have open access, but to obtain Category B data, they must be affiliated with an institution or organization officially recognized by the Government of India. Meanwhile, the dissemination of secondary source data received by the NSO from other ministries, departments, or organizations does not fall under these guidelines, and control over such datasets remains with the original source.

Our earlier report discussed the IBBI's discussion paper and draft guidance focused on insolvency professionals to prevent misuse of the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP), emphasizing the identification and reporting of signs of fraudulent or malicious initiation of CIRP and standardizing remedies available under the IBC.

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