EPWRF has been disseminating data in the time-series format, using various modes of publications, hard copy as well as electronic modes. In this context, it has been observed that the CDs brought out by the EPWRF have been quite popular. Encouraged by these developments, the Foundation has considered that it would facilitate and promote social science research both in metropolitan and other centers of learning, if the data are released online and updated periodically in time, for wider dissemination and in an user friendly manner. Keeping this as the focus, the Foundation has taken up creating an interactive on-line system of India time series data.
This online service is a part of the project funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and executed by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) and EPWRF. This initiative has the broad objective of aiding and promoting research on the Indian economy and financial markets and targeted to benefit particularly students, research scholars and the academic community, both in India and abroad.
In this effort, datasets have been structured under various modules:
| (i) Financial Markets |
(viii) Finances of State Governments |
| (ii) Banking Statistics |
(ix) Combined Government Finances |
| (iii) Domestic Product of States of India |
(x) National Accounts Statistics |
| (iv) Price Indices |
(xi) Annual Survey of Industries |
| (v) Agricultural Statistics |
(xii) External Sector |
| (vi) Power Sector |
(xiii) Finances of the Government of India |
| (vii) Industrial Production |
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The EPWRF will take into account the users feedback from time to time to make suitable modifications.
Key Online Database Features
| Salient Features |
| Compilation and dissemination of data in time-series format in an expeditious manner. |
| Covers various periodicities and trends. |
| Analytically useful classification categories are adopted. |
| Targets students, scholars, the academic community and professionals in India and abroad. |
| Interactive and User-friendly |
| Versatility of selecting data variable/series as per requirement and download at ease as designed to facilitate electronic processing. |
| Convenience of exporting the required data-set to Excel files. |
| Instantly compare and analyze different data in relation to each other and if required can print the data. |
| Real time support from the EPWRF team. |
| Enhancing Research |
| Enabling instant comparison, plotting in a graphical format using charts in different styles like line, point, range, column etc. & analysing different data variable/series in relation to each other. |
| Availability of ‘Meta Data’ at a click providing information on the sources of data, concepts, coverage and changes therein. |
| Periodic updating of the database depending upon the availability and frequency of data. |