Campus wary after Centre circulates ISI Bill among MPs
Times of India | 31 July 2026
Kolkata: The Centre circulated the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, aimed at bringing a comprehensive statutory framework for the institute, among MPs on Wednesday.
The bill has raised suspicion among institute students and faculty members on the possibility of the relocation of the institute’s headquarters from Kolkata, as the bill is silent on the issue. The structure of the board of governors is also proposed to be changed.
Professors who reviewed the bill said the location of the institute headquarters and the seat of the director had not been defined in the bill. “This raises apprehension that the headquarters may get shifted from Kolkata. There is no such assurance in the bill,” said a professor. “As the position of Kolkata as the headquarters is not protected in the bill, the unit here could be reduced to being one of the centres.”
The bill proposes that the power to create academic, administrative, technical and other posts at the institute, other than that of the director, might not remain with the institute. The representation of the ministry in the board of governors is proposed to be increased by including the joint secretary or additional secretary and financial adviser. Similarly, the representation of the institute might get reduced by the removal of the ex-officio membership of the dean of studies, one of the professors said.
The bill also proposes that students’ admission will be controlled by regulations framed by the BoG and will not be part of the standing orders framed by the Academic Council. Faculty members are apprehensive that the responsibility of the director may now be restricted to implementation of the decisions of the BoG, the Academic Council and day-to-day administration. The appointment of the director would now require approval of the visitor, who would be a central govt representative, said some faculty members. They also said the bill did not have any provision for the board to form regulations to initiate programmes or courses at the institute. “Without any statutory backing to form regulations, the programmes initiated by the institute may have legal complications,” a professor said.