3 weeks ago
Experts Fear Centre Stranglehold on ISI Data Independence
The Indian Statistical Institute, often called the ISI, is a special institute in India that helps the country understand numbers and data.
The government uses data to make important decisions, like how much money the country is making.
People at the ISI study things like jobs, money, and even hidden money.
Sometimes they look at the government's numbers and say whether they seem right or wrong.
Now, the government has introduced a new bill called the ISI Bill, 2026.
This bill would change who is in charge of the institute.
Many teachers and experts are worried about this change.
They are afraid the government might tell the ISI what to find out and what to say.
Some people say this is like trying to take over the institute's free voice.
People who care about fair numbers are hoping the ISI can stay independent.
Experts allege the Centre's ISI Bill, 2026 would establish a 'stranglehold' over the Indian Statistical Institute and curb its independent voice on data.
The bill proposes a Delhi-dominated board of governors replacing the ISI Council, which has wider representation from the institute's teachers and staff.
Congress data analytics cell head Praveen Chakravarty said ISI teachers' liberty to comment independently on GDP figures and government data could be 'tossed aside'.
ISI associate professor Kuntal Ghosh warned the government could force the institute to carry out research and produce results according to its preferences.
Critics including economist Prasenjit Bose and professor emerita Supriya Chaudhuri said autonomy is vital to protect unbiased data collection, with Chaudhuri linking the takeover to a desire to control data.
- Who
- Teachers and experts at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), including Praveen Chakravarty, Kuntal Ghosh, Prasenjit Bose, Supriya Chaudhuri and Dipankar Bhattacharya, are opposing the Centre's ISI Bill, 2026.
- What
- The bill would overhaul the ISI's administrative structure, replacing the existing ISI Council with a Delhi-dominated board of governors, which critics say would give the Union government greater control over research and data.
- Where
- India
- When
- Concerns were voiced around a news conference held on August 1; the legislation is referred to as the ISI Bill, 2026.
- Why
- Critics say the Centre wants to curb the ISI's independent commentary on government data and policy, preventing the institute from questioning official figures such as GDP, unemployment and black money data.
Key facts
- Institute
- Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)
- Bill
- ISI Bill, 2026
- Proposed change
- Delhi-dominated board of governors to replace the ISI Council
- Key critic
- Praveen Chakravarty, head of the Congress's data analytics cell and Rajya Sabha member
- ISI professor quoted
- Kuntal Ghosh, associate professor
- News conference date
- August 1
- Related institution
- NSSO (National Sample Survey Office), incubated by ISI
- Opposition action
- Online petition opposing the bill, signed by Supriya Chaudhuri and others
Quotes
Praveen Chakravarty
Head of Congress’s data analytics cell, Rajya Sabha member from Tamil Nadu.
“If the ISI is controlled this way, the government could force us to carry out research and produce results according to its preferences by providing data of its choice.”
telegraphindia.com
“There have been all kinds of incidents, including the suppression of data and discarding results that make the government uncomfortable.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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