Modi Govt’s Economic Growth Claims Exposed Over Data Manipulation

India’s Modi government is facing questions over its economic growth claims, with critics accusing it of manipulating data to present a stronger picture of the economy.

Indian economists have raised concerns about the condition of the economy and questioned the government’s claims of strong growth.

Former Indian Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said the Modi government had to make changes to economic data to make last year’s GDP figures look weaker and this year’s first-quarter growth appear higher.

According to Garg, these changes helped show first-quarter growth at 10.3 percent. He said that without the changes to the previous financial year’s GDP, growth at current prices would have been only 2.6 percent.

Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan also questioned the government’s growth figures. He asked why strong economic growth was not clearly reflected in employment and investment.

According to Reuters, India’s opposition Congress party has also described the reported 7.8 percent growth rate as the result of manipulation of economic data.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said that a lack of jobs, negative foreign investment and a trade deficit under the Modi government had pushed the Indian economy toward a serious crisis.