The Centre on Monday, August 3, introduced the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, proposing a new legal framework for the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).
The Bill seeks to repeal the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, with the government stating that the existing law is no longer adequate to meet the needs of an evolving academic and research environment.
Union Minister Rao Indrajit Singh introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha. It was introduced through a voice vote amid opposition protests over unrelated issues.
What is the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026?
The proposed legislation seeks to incorporate the Indian Statistical Institute as a body corporate while retaining its status as an institution of national importance.
According to the government, the Bill aims to strengthen the institute’s governance, promote academic excellence and research, and enable it to address emerging requirements in statistics, data science and allied disciplines.
What changes does the Bill propose?
The Bill proposes a new governance structure for the institute.
Under the proposed framework, the President of India will serve as the Visitor of the Indian Statistical Institute.
A Board of Governors will function as the institute’s principal policy and executive body. It will be chaired by an eminent person from academia, industry, education, public policy or statistical sciences and will remain accountable to the central government.
The legislation also provides for an Academic Council, headed by the institute’s Director, as the principal academic body. All full-time professors and faculty members will be members of the council.
Why is the 1959 Act being replaced?
The Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959 declared ISI an institution of national importance and empowered it to award degrees and diplomas in statistics.
The Act was amended in 1995 to expand the institute’s powers to award degrees and diplomas in mathematics, quantitative economics, computer science and other subjects related to statistics.
According to the government, the existing law contains limited provisions on governance, administration, finance, accountability and institutional functioning. The proposed legislation seeks to provide a more comprehensive legal framework suited to the institute’s current academic, research and administrative requirements.
How could the new law benefit the institute?
The government said the proposed legislation is intended to help the Indian Statistical Institute develop into a globally recognised centre for statistical sciences and allied fields.
It also aims to support the development of an ecosystem that can train a new generation of data scientists and statisticians, helping address the talent requirements of India’s technology and financial sectors.
What is the government’s objective?
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill, the proposed legislation aims to modernise the legal framework governing the Indian Statistical Institute and enable it to respond more effectively to evolving academic, research and industry needs. The government said the new law would provide a comprehensive framework covering the institute’s governance, administration, finance and accountability.