Kolkata: A day after the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 was tabled in the Parliament and opposition MPs filed notice to oppose, a section of ISI faculty members started getting in touch with the Congress and Trinamool MPs to raise voice inside the Parliament against the bill.They met Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh and Manish Tewari on Tuesday in New Delhi. “Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have demanded that the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 be referred for detailed examination and wider consultations by the Parliamentary Standing Committee concerned (which is Finance in this case). Hopefully, this demand will be accepted, Ramesh posted on his X handle.Comparing the passage of bills in the NDA regime with the govt under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Ramesh said that only 16% of bills were ever referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees between 2019 and 2024. “Between 2009 and 2014, under Dr. Manmohan Singh, 71% of Bills were referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees,” he wrote.Faculty members of the institute, who might organise a press meet in New Delhi on Wednesday, said, “Given the fact that the Parliament is paralysed and not functioning, this bill will be passed amid opposition din”.The Pradesh Congress on Tuesday alleged that each bill is being passed despite persistent protests and ongoing deadlocks. “We have raised the issue last year as we apprehended curbing ISI’s autonomy apart from the fear of the headquarters being shifted from Kolkata. But the BJP seems to be adamant to pass the bill,” said Pradesh Congress president Subhankar Sarkar.On Monday, Trinamool’s Pratima Mandal and Saugata Roy also filed notice to oppose the Lok Sabha. Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose also hoped that the govt will agree for a discussion over the bill. “The opposition has demanded that the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 not be taken up in Parliament at this stage, but instead be referred to the Department-related Standing Committee on Finance for detailed examination. The Bill requires much wider consultation with all stakeholders before it is brought before Parliament. Given its far-reaching implications for one of India’s most premier institutions, it deserves careful scrutiny and deliberation. We are hopeful that the government will agree to this reasonable demand,” she posted on her X handle.
