Context: Recently, the Government has been celebrating the Statistics Day, to popularise the use of Statistics in everyday life and sensitise the public as to how Statistics helps in shaping and framing policies.  
Key Points

• Every year, the Statistics Day is celebrated on 29th June, the birth anniversary of Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, to recognise his invaluable contribution in establishing the National Statistical System.

Aim:

• To popularise the use of statistics in everyday life and sensitise the public as to how statistics help in shaping and framing policies.
• To raise public awareness, especially among the younger generation, about the role of statistics in socio-economic planning.

Theme for 2020:

• SDG-3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and SDG-5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls).
• It carries forward the theme for 2019 which was ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’.

New Releases and Launch

• The updated version of the Report on Sustainable Development Goals-National Indicator Framework (NIF) Progress Report 2020 will be released during the event.
• The Indian Statistical Services Cadre Management Portal will also be launched.
• The winners of Prof. P C Mahalanobis National Award and Prof. P. V. Sukhatme Award 2020 will be declared during the event.
• In 2019, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation instituted Prof. P C Mahalanobis National Award in official statistics for recognizing outstanding achievement of official statisticians in central government, state governments and institutions.
• The Ministry also recognises the outstanding contribution for high-quality research work in the field of applied and theoretical statistics benefitting the official statistical system through the Prof. C R Rao and Prof. P V Sukhatme awards, awarded in alternate years.

About  P.C. Mahalanobis

• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (29 June 1893 – 28 June 1972) was an Indian scientist and statistician.
• He is best remembered for the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure, and for being one of the members of the first Planning Commission of free India.
• He made pioneering studies in anthropometry (the science of obtaining systematic measurements of the human body) in India.
• He founded the Indian Statistical Institute and contributed to the design of large-scale sample surveys.
• For his contributions, Mahalanobis has been considered the father of modern statistics in India.