“Political Science Of Data Doctoring”: Congress Launches Sharp Attack On Modi Government
Congress accuses Government of India of manipulating rural wage data figures.
The Congress party on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi-led government, alleging that official rural wage data has been manipulated to project an inflated picture of economic improvement. The criticism was led by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who accused the government of “doctoring” statistics through methodological changes in data collection.
Ramesh claimed that the government had earlier altered employment definitions through institutions such as the RBI, which he said resulted in an exaggerated estimate of job creation since FY18. He further alleged that similar approaches are now being used to present an artificial surge in rural wage growth, calling it part of a broader pattern of statistical manipulation.
According to Ramesh, reported rural wage growth has risen sharply from around 6% to nearly 17–18% between June 2025 and March 2026, while average daily wages reportedly saw a 12.7% jump within a single month. He argued that such sudden increases do not reflect actual economic conditions in rural India and instead point to changes in how data is being compiled.
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He further alleged that the Labour Bureau introduced a revised sampling framework without adequate public disclosure, incorporating workers from regions such as parts of the Northeast, Delhi, and Goa. He claimed that although these regions represent only a small portion of India’s total workforce, they now account for a disproportionately large share of the sample used to calculate wage trends.
Ramesh argued that this change has significantly influenced overall averages, as the newly added regions reportedly have higher wage levels due to more urbanised and skilled employment structures compared to predominantly agricultural areas. He said this has resulted in an artificial upward bias in the national rural wage figures.
Concluding his remarks, Ramesh said that a more realistic assessment of wage growth would place it at around 4.3% annually, which he described as the weakest in several years. The government has not yet issued a formal response to the allegations. The issue has added to ongoing political debate over economic data accuracy and methodology in India.
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