Bill to provide statutory framework to Indian Statistical Institute up for introduction in Lok Sabha

The government is set to introduce the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha, seeking to widen the institute's remit and align its legal framework with the needs of a fast-evolving statistical and data science landscape.

The bill proposes the institute's incorporation as a 'body corporate' to strengthen its governance, promote academic excellence and research, and position it to serve emerging needs in statistics and allied fields.

It designates the President of India as the Visitor of the institute and provides for a Board of Governors as its principal policy-making body. According to the draft bill, the Board of Governors will be an empowered 11-member body, comprising just one government nominee, five external experts (including the chairperson), and five internal members of the institute. The board will be headed by a chairperson drawn from academia, industry, education, public policy or statistical sciences, and will remain accountable to the central government.


Also read: Anti-paper leak amendment Bill gets green light in Lok Sabha with bigger jail terms and fines: Here are 8 things to know

The institute will also have an Academic Council as its principal academic body, headed by the director. All full-time professors and full-time faculty will be members of this council.

Why the government says a new law is needed

The Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, had declared the institute one of national importance and empowered it to grant degrees and diplomas in statistics. A 1995 amendment widened this to cover mathematics, quantitative economics, computer science and related subjects.

The bill notes that the 1959 Act has limited provisions on governance, administration, finance and accountability, and is inadequate for the demands of a modern academic and research environment. The government has therefore decided to repeal the 1959 Act altogether and replace it with comprehensive legislation, enabling ISI to function as a globally recognised centre in statistical sciences and allied fields.

Officials have said the reform is meant to build an ecosystem for training a new generation of data scientists and statisticians, addressing the talent shortage facing India's technology and financial sectors. Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh had earlier told the Lok Sabha that the draft bill's pre-legislative consultation, including inter-ministerial consultation, had concluded, and that legal vetting of the draft was also complete. He had said the bill is meant to enhance the institute's autonomy and accountability while establishing a modern governance framework.