Faculty members, employees and students of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) have urged the Centre not to proceed with the proposed Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2025, without wider consultations, expressing concerns that the legislation could affect the institute's autonomy and create uncertainty over Kolkata's status as its headquarters.
Established by eminent statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, ISI functions under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) and is currently registered as a society under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961.
A faculty representative said the proposed legislation seeks to repeal the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, under which the premier institution was declared an Institute of National Importance, and replace the existing society-based structure with a statutory body corporate.
He alleged that the draft Bill was prepared without consultations with the ISI Society, faculty members, students or other stakeholders.
"The three principal bodies of the institute -- the ISI Society, the ISI Council and the Academic Council -- have all expressed reservations about the Bill and sought discussions with the ministry. We urge that the Bill should not be passed without proper consultation," he said.
The faculty members also claimed that the institute's director was not consulted during the drafting of the legislation.
One of the major concerns relates to the proposed governance structure.
Faculty member Kuntal Ghosh said the Bill seeks to replace the existing representative council with a Board of Governance appointed by the Centre, while reducing the powers of the Academic Council.
They argued that the proposed changes could increase government interference in academic matters and weaken the institute's autonomous character.
Another ISI professor Arijit Bishnu said the 1959 Act specifically mentions Kolkata as the headquarters of the institute, but the proposed legislation does not include any such reference.
"The omission has created uncertainty over whether Kolkata will continue to remain the headquarters of the institute in future," he said.
The faculty members also questioned the need to repeal the 1959 Act, pointing out that the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the proposed Bill acknowledges ISI's global reputation as a leading centre for research, teaching and training in statistical sciences.
They said the Fourth Review Committee headed by scientist R A Mashelkar had examined the 1959 Act and recommended only two amendments, but did not suggest repealing the Act or abolishing the ISI Society.
The faculty members alleged that the ministry's claim that the existing Act had limited provisions to address the requirements of an evolving academic and research environment was not backed by any government study.
They maintained that the present Act already provides safeguards for government oversight through provisions allowing intervention if the institute fails to fulfil its statutory obligations.
Highlighting ISI's achievements, a faculty member said the institute had introduced nine academic programmes in the past 15 years, expanded student enrolment fourfold over two decades and was approaching a student-teacher ratio of 8:1 with a sanctioned faculty strength of 281.
They also emphasised the institute's historic contribution to India's statistical system, including its role in laying the foundations of the National Sample Survey, and noted that ISI has earned global recognition through distinguished alumni and faculty, including Abel Prize laureate C R Rao's associate legacy and Abel laureate SRS Varadhan, an ISI alumnus.
A mass petition seeking withdrawal of the draft Bill has been signed by faculty members, students, former directors and alumni and submitted to the Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The petition calls for withdrawal of the draft legislation and meaningful consultation with all stakeholders before any changes are made to the institute's governing law.
The proposed legislation has triggered protests on the ISI campus since last year.
During the institute's convocation earlier this year, several PhD graduates wore protest badges while receiving their degrees, opposing the draft Bill and raising concerns over autonomy, governance and the future character of the institution.
The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, seeks the institute's incorporation as a 'body corporate' to strengthen its governance, promote academic excellence and research and allow it to serve the emerging needs in the field of statistics and allied fields.
The bill says the President of India will be the Visitor of the institute and provisions for a Board of Governors that will be its principal policy executive body.
The board will be headed by the chairperson, who will be an eminent person from the field of academia, industry, education, public policy, and statistical sciences.
The board will be accountable to the central government, the bill notes.
The institute will have an Academic Council, which will act as its principal academic body and will be headed by the institute's director.
All full-time professors and full-time faculty will be members of the Academic Council.
The Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, declared the institute to be an institution of national importance and empowered it to grant degrees and diplomas in statistics.
The Act was amended in 1995 to empower the Institute to grant degrees and diplomas in statistics, mathematics, quantitative economics, computer science and such other subjects related to statistics as may be determined by it from time to time.
The 1959 Act, according to the bill, has limited provisions in respect of the governance, administration, finance, accountability and functioning of the Institute and is not adequate to enable it to respond to the requirements of an evolving academic and research environment.
Therefore, it says, the government decided to repeal the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, to bring out comprehensive legislation providing for the incorporation of the Indian Statistical Institute, an institution of national importance, to excel as a globally recognised centre in Statistical Sciences and allied fields.
The legal reform will enable an ecosystem to train a new generation of high-quality data scientists and statisticians, bridging the massive talent gap currently facing India's tech and financial sectors, the bill says.