New ISI Bill Sparks Controversy: Faculty & MPs Raise Concerns!
New ISI Bill Sparks Controversy: Faculty & MPs Raise Concerns!
India's new Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, is under fire! Faculty and MPs protest contentious provisions, sparking debate over the future of the prestigious Indian Statistical Institute. Get the full story!
A new legislative proposal, the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, has been tabled in Parliament by the government, aiming to replace its nearly 67-year-old predecessor from 1959. While the government asserts the Bill will modernize the esteemed institute and elevate it to a globally recognized center for statistical sciences, it has sparked significant controversy.
Faculty members of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and Members of Parliament are vocally protesting several of the Bill's provisions, deeming them contentious. The government's stance is that the current regulations are overly prescriptive, requiring extensive approval from the General Body even for minor reforms, which the new Bill seeks to streamline. However, critics are concerned about potential impacts on the institute's autonomy and academic freedom.
The Indian Statistical Institute boasts a rich history, tracing its origins back to the 1920s when India’s celebrated statistician P.C. Mahalanobis established the Statistical Laboratory in Kolkata's Presidency College. He officially founded the Indian Statistical Institute on December 17, 1931, initially as a “learned society” within the Statistical Laboratory. The institute was formally registered on April 28, 1932, as a non-profit distributing learned society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860, and is now operating under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act of 1961 (amended in 1964).
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