India began its six-week election process last week, with incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi vying for a third term in power.
Modi has touted impressive figures on economic growth and poverty reduction during his 10 years as prime minister. But former government officials have said these claims are flawed, to the extent that some have stepped down over what they say is the misuse of data to support a political narrative.
During its G20 presidency, India promoted a policy of data collection and analysis as key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, calling for the sharing of high-quality granular data to inform policymaking and improve public service delivery.