MoSPI tables Indian Statistical Institute Bill as ISI Kolkata teachers, students protest over autonomy concern

ISI Bill 2025 Draft : Students and teachers of ISI Kolkata will hold a rally starting at 4 pm in front of RA Fisher Bhavan to oppose the introduction of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill 2025. ISI Kolkata teachers and students are demanding that the bill be referred to the Standing Committee or a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further examination and discussion.

ISI Bill has been introduced in the Lok Sabha by the minister of state of the ministry of statistics and programme implementation by Rao Inderjit Singh. However, several MPs, including Manish Tewari and T Sumati, have opposed the bill.

The ISI Bill 2025 has been drafted by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI), proposing to upgrade the ISI from a long-standing society model to a "statutory body corporate", bringing its governance structure in line with the Institutions of National Importance (INIs), such as Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

Also read ISI Bill 2025: Why Indian Statistical Institute teachers think draft law will ‘dismantle…Bengal’s heritage’

ISI draft bill 2025

Careers360 had reported earlier that academics, students and alumni of ISI Baranagar, Kolkata campus are against it and cited that the bill threatens the institute’s autonomy and violates the entire legal structure under which ISI runs.

Currently, ISI Kolkata is led by a council of 33 members.

It also raises questions over ISI Kolkata's free programmes, admission policy and the status of its centres across the country. ISI has teaching centres in Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai.

The Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, declared the ISI to be an institution of national importance and approved it to grant degrees and diplomas in statistics – the law that the new draft bill seeks to replace

Also read ‘ Autonomy Snatched’: Revised ISI Bill faces opposition in council; academics reject new MoSPI draft

Indian Statistical Institute Act 1959

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 draft bill proposed, has limited provisions in respect of the governance, administration, finance, accountability and functioning of the institute. Also, it is not adequate to enable it to respond to the requirements of an evolving academic and research environment.

Therefore, the government has decided to repeal the ISI Act 1959 and replace it with a new draft bill. The bill draft will officially establish the Indian Statistical Institute as an institution of national importance, allowing become a recognised centre for statistical sciences and related fields.