UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Why is the Indian Statistical Institute Bill controversial?

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the successive changes in the legal character of the Indian Statistical Institute: 1. The Institute functioned as a learned society founded in December 1931 before it acquired any registered legal personality. 2. Its registration as a non-profit distributing learned society under societies law followed within a year of its founding. 3. The instrument that first registered it as a society was also the instrument that declared it an Institution of National Importance. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Institute functioned as a learned society founded in December 1931 before it acquired any registered legal personality.
  2. Its registration as a non-profit distributing learned society under societies law followed within a year of its founding.
  3. The instrument that first registered it as a society was also the instrument that declared it an Institution of National Importance.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. How many years elapsed between the founding of the Indian Statistical Institute as a learned society and its declaration as an Institution of National Importance by an Act of Parliament?

  • A. 22 years
  • B. 24 years
  • C. 28 years
  • D. 31 years

Q3. Under the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959 — which the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 seeks to repeal — for what maximum period could the central government take over the management of the Institute on default or abuse of powers by its management?

  • A. Six months
  • B. Two years
  • C. Five years
  • D. An indefinite period, until its directions were complied with

Q4. Under the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, the Director, who is the chief executive officer of the Institute, is appointed by which one of the following?

  • A. The central government, on the recommendation of the Board of Governors
  • B. The Visitor, on the recommendation of the Academic Council of the Institute
  • C. The Board of Governors, with the prior approval of the Visitor
  • D. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, in consultation with the Chairperson

Q5. Under the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, the Chairperson of the Board of Governors is nominated in which one of the following ways?

  • A. By the central government, on the recommendation of the Visitor
  • B. By the Visitor, on the recommendation of the central government
  • C. By the Board of Governors, from among its own external expert members
  • D. By the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, from a panel forwarded by the Institute

Q6. In the context of the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, who or what is the 'Visitor'?

  • A. The Union Minister in charge of statistics, who presides over the meetings of the Board of Governors
  • B. An eminent statistician nominated by the Board to conduct periodic external academic audits of the Institute
  • C. The Governor of the State in which the headquarters of the Institute is situated, who confers its degrees
  • D. The President of India, who may appoint persons to review the Institute's work and to hold inquiries into its affairs

Q7. With reference to institutions declared as Institutions of National Importance, consider the following: 1. Indian Institutes of Management — conferred such status by an Act of Parliament that also empowered them to award degrees in place of diplomas. 2. Indian Statistical Institute — conferred such status by the Act of 1959 that the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 seeks to repeal. 3. Indian Statistical Institute — its status will lapse on the repeal of the 1959 Act, since the Bill of 2026 makes no fresh declaration to that effect. 4. Indian Institutes of Management — prior to the conferment of such status they functioned as autonomous societies registered under societies law. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Indian Institutes of Management — conferred such status by an Act of Parliament that also empowered them to award degrees in place of diplomas.
  2. Indian Statistical Institute — conferred such status by the Act of 1959 that the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 seeks to repeal.
  3. Indian Statistical Institute — its status will lapse on the repeal of the 1959 Act, since the Bill of 2026 makes no fresh declaration to that effect.
  4. Indian Institutes of Management — prior to the conferment of such status they functioned as autonomous societies registered under societies law.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q8. Consider the following statements about the category of Institutions of National Importance in India: 1. The status is conferred on an institution by a law made by Parliament. 2. The IITs and the IIMs have been cited by the Government as peer institutions whose governing legislations the Indian Statistical Institute Bill seeks to draw level with. 3. The conferment of the status on the Indian Statistical Institute in 1959 converted its registration under societies law into that of a body corporate. 4. The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 reiterates the declaration of the Institute as an Institution of National Importance. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The status is conferred on an institution by a law made by Parliament.
  2. The IITs and the IIMs have been cited by the Government as peer institutions whose governing legislations the Indian Statistical Institute Bill seeks to draw level with.
  3. The conferment of the status on the Indian Statistical Institute in 1959 converted its registration under societies law into that of a body corporate.
  4. The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 reiterates the declaration of the Institute as an Institution of National Importance.
  • A. 3 only
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q9. Which one of the following statements about the pre-legislative consultation preceding the introduction of the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 is correct?

  • A. The Bill was referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee immediately upon its introduction in Lok Sabha
  • B. Comments on the revised draft remained open until January 5, 2026, the original deadline in October 2025 having been extended
  • C. The draft was placed in the public domain only after the Union Cabinet had granted its approval to the Bill
  • D. Comments on the draft were required to be submitted exclusively in printed form at the office of the Ministry

Q10. Consider the following statements comparing the position of the administrative ministry under the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959 and under the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026: 1. Whereas the earlier law required prior approval for the regulations of the Institute, the Bill requires such prior approval only for the first regulations made by the Board of Governors. 2. The Bill permits the Institute to establish new centres, but only with the approval of the central government. 3. The Bill leaves the administrative ministry with no representation of any kind on the Board of Governors, all its members being drawn from academia and the Institute. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Whereas the earlier law required prior approval for the regulations of the Institute, the Bill requires such prior approval only for the first regulations made by the Board of Governors.
  2. The Bill permits the Institute to establish new centres, but only with the approval of the central government.
  3. The Bill leaves the administrative ministry with no representation of any kind on the Board of Governors, all its members being drawn from academia and the Institute.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. Consider the following pairs relating to the Indian Statistical Institute and the statistical system built around it: 1. Headquarters of the Institute — Kolkata 2. North-East Centre of the Institute — Tezpur 3. Centre offering M.Stat., MS (Quantitative Economics) and Ph.D. programmes in the northern region — Delhi 4. Nationwide socio-economic data-gathering apparatus established by the Institute's founder in 1950 — Annual Survey of Industries Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?

  1. Headquarters of the Institute — Kolkata
  2. North-East Centre of the Institute — Tezpur
  3. Centre offering M.Stat., MS (Quantitative Economics) and Ph.D. programmes in the northern region — Delhi
  4. Nationwide socio-economic data-gathering apparatus established by the Institute's founder in 1950 — Annual Survey of Industries
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q12. The Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026, introduced in Lok Sabha on the same day as the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, was piloted by which one of the following ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Finance
  • B. Ministry of Law and Justice
  • C. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Home Affairs