The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata did what it has done best for nearly a century on its 95th Foundation Day — it brought ideas, people and different disciplines under one roof for meaningful discourse.
The Foundation Day celebrations at the Platinum Jubilee Auditorium were both commemorative and contemplative, drawing together scholars, students and senior academics to reflect on the Institute’s enduring place in India’s intellectual life.
The highlight of the evening was the conferring of the Prof C. R. Rao Centenary Gold Medal on eminent economist Pranab Bardhan.
Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, Bardhan received the honour from the Indian Econometric Society in recognition of his sustained contribution to economic theory and development economics. The award carries the legacy of Bharat Ratna Prof C. R. Rao, whose work shaped modern statistics in India and beyond.
Speaking as chief guest, Bardhan reflected on the changing responsibilities of economics and empirical research at a time of widening inequalities, technological shifts and policy dilemmas. His address moved beyond abstraction, touching on how data, institutions and human behaviour intersect in real societies, a theme that resonated strongly with ISI’s own tradition of applied scholarship.
Director Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay and dean of studies Pradipta Bandyopadhyay were among those present, alongside faculty members, researchers and students from across disciplines. The celebrations also stepped outside lecture halls. A Creative Corner was inaugurated, followed by a cultural programme featuring performances by members of the ISI community, underlining the Institute’s belief that creativity and inquiry are not mutually exclusive.
Founded by Prof P. C. Mahalanobis on 17 December 1931, ISI has grown from a modest statistical laboratory into an Institution of National Importance with centres across India. As it approaches its centenary, the evening served as a reminder that its legacy lies not only in numbers and models, but in asking difficult questions and pursuing them with rigour and imagination.