Parliament panel invites suggestions on ISI Bill from organisations, stakeholders, experts

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has asked for suggestions and views from associations, organisations, stakeholders, and other experts on the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill, 2026, according to a Telegraph report.

In a public notice, the committee said those who want to submit their suggestions and feedback can send two copies of their suggestions to the committee director by September 28, 2026. The official notice was issued by Bhartruhari Mahtab, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) who heads the 33-member committee.

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, a member of the committee, told The Telegraph that opinions, suggestions or feedback from a diverse group of people were needed on the Bill before a final decision was made. He said the committee has decided to accept suggestions after concerns were raised about not asking stakeholders to share their opinions.

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Panel examines proposed changes to ISI governance

The ISI Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session in August and was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for a detailed review. During its first meeting on September 9, some committee members raised questions about the changes the Bill wanted to make to the way the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) is managed, the Telegraph reported.

According to Saugata Roy, officials from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation also told the committee that the Bill was drafted to speed up the decision-making process at ISI. Some members also questioned if this can be achieved by making changes to existing rules under the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959.

While retaining the existing law, the members discussed reducing the institute's council from 33 members to 12, as proposed in the Bill. The Bill has given proposals to convert ISI, which is currently registered as a society under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961, into a body corporate while also changing the institute's governing structure.

Partha P Majumder, a former professor at ISI, has opposed the changes and even started an online petition. He told The Telegraph that the Bill could affect the institute's institutional autonomous structure. More than 8,000 people have signed the petition, which was later sent to the ministry.