Archive · 30 Jan 2026
ISI Students, Alumni Protest Draft Bill
Lots of students, teachers, and alumni from the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata had a big protest.
They were upset about a new bill and a plan called NEP 2020.
They think these will take away ISI's freedom and make it less special.
The protest had many people, including some important leaders.
They marched for about a kilometer.
Other students from different universities also showed their support.
The people protesting said they will keep fighting against these changes because they think it's not fair.
The government wants to make ISI a more official institution, but the protesters don't want that.
Hundreds of ISI students, researchers, alumni, and retired faculty protested against the Draft ISI Bill and NEP 2020 in Kolkata.
The protest was attended by notable figures including ISI Alumni Association Chairman Prof Shashi Mohan Srivastava and political leaders.
Protesters marched about 1 km from the ISI campus, and other students formed a human chain at nearby universities.
Protests also occurred at North Bengal University and Panchanan Barma University in Cooch Behar.
Protesters expressed their determination to resist any attempt to erode ISI's autonomy and identity.
- Who
- Students, researchers, alumni, retired faculty, and political leaders
- What
- Protest against the Draft ISI Bill and NEP 2020
- When
- Thursday
- Where
- Kolkata, West Bengal, and other campuses in North Bengal
- Why
- To resist the alleged threat to the autonomy and identity of ISI and to oppose the centralization, corporatization, and saffronization of education
- Location
- Kolkata, West Bengal
- Protesters
- Hundreds of students, researchers, alumni, retired faculty, and political leaders
- Key Figures
- Prof Shashi Mohan Srivastava, Dipankar Bhattacharya, Subhankar Sarkar, Ashutosh Chatterjee, Udit Prasannna Mohanti
- Protest Locations
- ISI Kolkata campus, College Street, Calcutta University, Jadavpur University, North Bengal University, Panchanan Barma University
- Protest Distance
- 1 km
- Draft ISI Bill
- Proposed to convert ISI from a registered society to a statutory body corporate