US House passes funding bill to avert government shutdown ahead of midterms

The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, was referred to the Department-Related Standing Committee on Finance on Tuesday (September 1, 2026), according to a parliamentary bulletin. The committee will have three months to submit its report on the legislation. The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 2 during the Monsoon Session, aims to expand the institute's scope and align its legal framework with modern needs.

The Indian Statistical Institute, currently declared a national importance institution under the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, seeks to incorporate itself as a body corporate to enhance governance, promote academic excellence and research, and address emerging needs in statistics and related fields. The Bill establishes a Board of Governors, headed by an academic, industry, education, public policy, or statistical expert, accountable to the Central government.

The institute will have an Academic Council, led by the director, comprising full-time professors and faculty members. Repealing the 1959 Act is necessary to provide comprehensive legislation for the institute to thrive as a globally recognized center for statistical sciences and allied fields, thereby addressing India's talent gap in data science and statistics.