Indian Statistical Institute

Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) engages in the research, teaching, and application of statistics to the natural sciences and social sciences. Founded by Professor P.C. Mahalanobis in Kolkata in 1931, while statistics was a relatively new scientific field, the institute gained the status of an Institution of National Importance by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1959.

The Headquarters of ISI is located in the northern fringe of the metropolis of Kolkata, in Baranagar, in Bon-Hoogly not far from the Dunlop Bridge. Two satellite centres are located in Delhi and Bangalore. The ISI's teaching activities are in Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore, while other cities in India have branch offices engaged in projects and consultancy in Statistical Quality Control and Operations Research.

Objective
The major objectives of the Indian Statistical Institute, as stated in its Memorandum of Association, are:


 * To promote the study and dissemination of knowledge of Statistics, to develop statistical theory and methods, and their use in research and practical applications generally, with special reference to problems of planning of national development and social welfare;


 * To undertake research in various fields of natural and social sciences, with a view to the mutual development of Statistics and these sciences;


 * To provide for, and undertake, the collection of information, investigation, projects and operational research for purposes of planning and the improvement of efficiency of management and production.

Unity in Diversity is the motto of the Institute, which describes the diverse projects all for the common purpose of furthering statistics.

History
Mahalanobis established the ISI in a small room in the Presidency College on 17 December, 1931, with a budget of Rs. 250 and a single part-time human "computer". The ISI later moved to its current Baranagar location, a property owned by Professor Mahalanobis called "Amrapali" (a name given by the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore). Currently, the ISI in Kolkata is located in six addresses: 201 to 206 Barrackpore Trunk Road, including one which used to house the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO). (The NSSO was in a building known as the Studio because of its origin as a silent movie studio in the 1920s and 1930s.) The ISI expanded to locations in New Delhi and Bangalore, and now has a total annual expenditure of over Rs. 15,000,000, 250 faculty members, and over 1,000 supporting staff.

The Present Director is Prof. Sankar Kumar Pal. The present dean is prof. Bimal Roy.

Campus Link

 * Headquarters, Kolkata (location: )
 * Delhi (location: )
 * Bangalore (location: )
 * Faculty list by location and category