The Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation on Monday extended the deadline for public opinion on a revised Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2025, which has stoked controversy over the alleged erosion of its autonomy.

Opinions can now be submitted until January 5.

The earlier window was open from November 28 to December 15.

The press information bureau (PIB) said late on Monday: “In furtherance to ministry’s earlier notice dated 28.11.2025 and to facilitate wider circulation and enable continued pre-legislative consultative process, it is hereby informed that further comments/ suggestions from public on the revised draft ‘The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2025’ are now invited up to 05.01.2026 (Monday).

“All interested stakeholders are requested to submit their comments/suggestions to the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, Government of India, on or before 05.01.2026.”

Many ISI teachers, past and present, feared that the bill could be pushed through in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. That possibility has been nixed by the extension. The winter session ends on December 19.

A group of ISI students and research scholars met the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, last week, requesting him to oppose the bill in case it were placed in Parliament.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen had asked the concerned minister in Parliament why the bill, which proposes to make an overarching board of governors comprising the ministry’s nominated members the highest decision-making body replacing the council and the academic council, was floated without any consultation with the ISI fraternity.

Arijit Bishnu, an ISI Calcutta professor, said: “A sustained protest from teachers and students, past and present, has forced the ministry to junk its plans to table the bill in the winter session. Our fight against the bill will go on.”

The ISI teachers had alleged that the bill sought “to decimate the institute’s democratic and federal structure”.

Partha P. Majumder, a former National Science Chair of the Government of India and a former ISI professor, wrote to the ministry on December 12 demanding that the bill be withdrawn.

Now, the council is the highest ISI decision-making body on administrative issues.

The academic council, comprising teachers, is the highest decision-making body on academic issues.

Associate professor Kuntal Ghosh said that the extension of the deadline till January 5 was a “small victory” because the ministry’s secretary had said on September 12 that they would have the bill passed in the winter session.

“The secretary suddenly attended a meeting of the ISI council, consisting of teachers and non-teaching staff, at the ISI centre in Delhi and said they would have the ISI bill passed in the winter session and then a gazzette notification would be issued. Our sustained protests forced the ministry not to table the bill in the ongoing session.”