The Government has set-up a Middle Office (MO) in the Ministry of Finance after the announcement made in the Union Budget 2007-08 to establish an independent Debt Management Office. One of its major functions is to disseminate detailed information on public debt. Currently, the MO publishes a Quarterly Report on Public Debt Management which is placed on the website of the Ministry of Finance.

Data on various facets of debt management is available across diverse sources. There is no publication providing consolidated information on public debt in India. In an attempt to bridge this gap, the MO has prepared the ‘Handbook of Statistics on Central Government Debt’. This is the first edition of the Handbook.

This first issue of the Handbook presents time-series data covering outstanding debt, primary issuance of bills and bonds, and secondary market transactions in government securities. This Handbook is intended to be a one-stop source for all Central Government debt data. It is expected to facilitate a better understanding of various aspects of public debt in India by supporting market analysis and academic research. In this inaugural issue, an attempt has been made to collate information largely covering the 2000-2010 decade and thereafter. It would also be available on the ministry’s website i.e. finmin.nic.in.

In subsequent issues, it is aimed to add more past data in a progressive manner.

Public debt data consolidation enhances transparency and provides a one stop statistical source for debt and securities analysis. The Ministry of Finance's Middle Office has released the first edition of the Handbook of Statistics on Central Government Debt consolidating dispersed data into a single source. It presents time series data on outstanding debt, primary issuance of treasury bills and bonds, and secondary market transactions in government securities, covering mainly the 2000-2010 decade and thereafter, and will be available on the ministry website to support market analysis and academic research.