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Education News

aged by business illiterate bureaucrats professors — will have few-
and clerks, 13 five year plans never at- er faculty members, all to
tained their targets or recorded suffi- be appointed by the board
cient profits for investment in build- of governance, eliminating
ing physical (roads, logistics) or social faculty participation.
(schools, hospitals) infrastructure. “Currently, professors
Annual GDP growth in post-indepen- influence key academic and
dence India averaged a mere 3.5 per- policy decisions, but under
cent per year for over half-a-century the new legislation, the
even as the country’s population tri- academic council will be
pled until 1991 when central planning reduced to an advisory role,
was devalued as the Indian economy with the board empowered
was liberalised and deregulated. to overrule its recommen-
Promoted in 1931 on a sprawl- dations,” says Tarun Nas-
ing 30-acre estate in the Baranagore ISI, Kolkata: "legislative demolition" charge kar, a former professor at
suburb of Greater Kolkata, today, ISI Jadavpur University who
is a self-governing scientific and re- from a nation-building and welfare- is also the general secretary of the All
search institution offering degree pro- oriented mission to one centred on India Save Education Committee.
grammes in statistics, mathematics, global excellence. Moreover, references in the draft
quantitative economics, computer sci- However this bill has been greeted bill to the generation of revenue from
ence, cryptology and security, library with suspicion by the institute’s facul- students through fees and other charg-
and information science, and quality ty and employees who believe it is the es have also stirred speculation that
management and operations research. first step towards a direct assault on the institute might impose a “com-
In its heyday in 1959 it was declared the institution’s autonomy and legacy. mercial fees structure”. At present, ISI
an Institution of National Importance Faculty members have urged the min- is mainly funded by the Central gov-
through the ISI Act of 1959. Current- istry to withdraw the bill and engage ernment (annual budget: Rs.95 crore).
ly, ISI’s centers at Delhi, Bengaluru, in “genuine consultations” with the Students admitted into undergradu-
Chennai, and Tezpur host 1,200 stu- ISI community to draft reforms in line ate and postgraduate programs fol-
dents, administered directly from the with the Mashelkar Committee report. lowing a highly competitive entrance
Kolkata headquarters on their muster A delegation of ISI professors re- exam do not pay any tuition fees. On
rolls. And despite its past record ISI cently visited the education ministry the contrary, they receive a monthly
remains an Institution of National Im- in Delhi to submit objections and feed- stipend of Rs.5,000. Faculty derive
portance and enjoys a good reputation back. “The bill is not reform but legis- pride from asserting that ISI is a “truly
among students and researchers ori- lative demolition of the principles that meritocratic institution” that admits
ented towards statistics, mathematical have made the ISI a world-renowned exceptionally talented students from
sciences, econometrics etc. institution,” three faculty members poor and marginalised backgrounds
Against this backdrop a September have written in a draft petition under to pursue world-class education. Now
25 draft Indian Statistical Institute Bill circulation in academia circles. the apprehension is that once the bill
2025 of the Union Ministry of Statis- t is pertinent to note that the pro- becomes law, students will be required
tics and Programme Implementation Iposed legislation will establish a to pay tuition fees on a par with the
(MoSPI) to replace the Indian Statisti- board of governance whose chairper- country’s 23 IITs (Rs.8-10 lakh) and
cal Institute Act, 1959 has outraged ISI son — and seven of 11 members — will 21 IIMs (Rs.17-27 lakh).
faculty and students. be Central government-nominated Inevitably the possibility that tu-
The new bill is the outcome of the academics or officials, including rep- ition and residence fees may be im-
recommendations of the Dr. R.A. resentatives from MoSPI, Department posed has exercised students and
Mashelkar Committee (2020), of Science and Technology and the alumni. “Many of ISI’s most renowned
which urged ISI to “reimagine, rein- ministry of finance. This board will scientists, researchers, and professors
vent, and reposition itself” by creating replace the existing 33-member ISI came from underprivileged and lower
a leaner, more empowered governance Council, which includes seven faculty middle-class backgrounds. A steep fee
structure with greater decision-mak- members, director and dean. Accord- hike at ISI could spell the end of the
ing powers in policy, administration, ing to the provisions of the draft bill, road for bright students from these
and finance. The draft bill seeks to “the Board of Governance shall be the very communities,” says Biswajit Mi-
transform the institute from a reg- principal executive body of the Insti- tra, an ISI alum and founder-member
istered society into a statutory body tute.” And the ISI’s academic council of the Kolkata- based Abheda Founda-
corporate; to redefine its objectives — currently comprising the institute’s tion.

28 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2025