Indian Statistical Institute faculty and MPs oppose 2026 ISI Bill

The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill, 2026, was introduced in Parliament on 3 August by Rao Inderjit Singh, the minister of state for statistics. Faculty members, students and opposition MPs quickly condemned the proposal, saying it would strip ISI of its autonomy, internal democracy and accountability, turning the institute into a direct arm of the Union government.

Faculty representative Arijit Bishnu urged the government to hold wider consultations with the ISI Society, Council and Academic Council before any vote, and called for referral of the Bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee. Opposition legislators, including Prof. Sougata Ray and Sagarika Ghose, echoed these demands, warning that the Bill repeals the foundational 1959 ISI Act and alters the institute’s fee‑free structure for most programmes.

In response, ISI faculty in Kolkata launched an online petition demanding that the Bill be reconsidered, highlighting the lack of prior review by the long‑standing oversight committee. The controversy underscores broader concerns about government control over academic institutions in India.