NALSAR in Dialogue with Rukmini S | Working with Socio-Economic Data in India

About the Speaker

Rukmini S is a data journalist and author based out of Chennai. She is the founder of Data for India, a public platform that aims to expand the understanding of India by increasing data literacy and widening access to fundamental information on health, demographic change and the economy in India.

Ms. Rukmini’s work on the COVID-19 pandemic won the global data journalism awards (the Sigma Awards) in 2022. Her work also won a Jury’s Special Mention for Investigative Reporting at the Asian College of Journalism Awards 2022. Her bestselling book, Whole Numbers & Half Truths: What Data Can and Cannot Tell Us About Modern India, was published by Westland in December 2021 and was longlisted for the Kamala Devi New India Foundation Book Prize in 2022.

Excerpts from the Talk

This edition of #NALSARinDialogue was moderated by Dr. Adithya Chintapanti, Professor of Law, NALSAR. The discussion unpacked what headline numbers such as GDP growth rates, employment percentages, enrolment rates, public health indicators and crime records represent, and the importance of a non-partisan approach to analysing and understanding them.

Ms. Rukmini took the audience through the basics of socio-economic data and its utility in helping us understand India and the world better. She outlined how data can tell us a lot, but the context behind the numbers needs to be understood. Public trust in data depends on how it is communicated, and a holistic understanding of data helps build evidence and nuance into public discourse.

Ms. Rukmini sounded a positive note on the potential of AI in the context of data and the law. She spoke about how advancements in LLMs could be instrumental in overcoming state-to-state variations in how legal data is documented and digitized.