Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, Kolkata: The 60th Convocation of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), an Institution of national importance under the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, was held today at “Amrakunja,” ISI Headquarters, Kolkata. The ceremony witnessed the conferment of degrees and diplomas to a total of 568 successful students across diverse disciplines including Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Quantitative Economics, Quality Management, and Operations Research.
Professor Padmanabhan Balaram, Padma Bhushan, Senior Visiting Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Chairperson of ATREE and former Director of IISc Bangalore, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and delivered the Convocation Address. He encouraged the graduating students to pursue excellence, innovation and meaningful contributions to science and society.
Professor Sankar Kumar Pal, National Science Chair (SERB–DST) and former Director and President of ISI, presided over the ceremony, delivered the welcome address and conferred the degrees and diplomas. Professor Ayanendranath Basu, Officiating Director of the Institute, presented the Annual Review highlighting the Institute’s academic achievements, research activities, international collaborations and major conferences organised during the year. Professor Biswabrata Pradhan, Dean of Studies, proposed the vote of thanks.
Among the degrees awarded were 45 Ph.D.s, 36 Master of Mathematics degrees, 59 Master of Statistics degrees, 39 Bachelor of Statistics (Honours) degrees, along with several specialised M.Tech., M.S., and Post-Graduate Diploma programmes in emerging fields such as Cryptology and Security, Business Analytics, Quantitative Economics and Applied Statistics.
In his address, Professor Pal emphasised the Institute’s multi-locational character and its sustained commitment to high-quality research and education across its centres. He also highlighted notable achievements of faculty and students, including international recognitions, prestigious lectures, fellowships, leadership roles in global scientific bodies, and contributions to national advisory councils.
The Annual Review noted the organisation of several high-level national and international conferences in mathematics, statistics, economics, data science and allied fields during 2025, as well as the Institute’s expanding collaborations with academia, industry, research laboratories and government organisations in areas of strategic importance.
Congratulating the graduating students, the dignitaries urged them to apply their knowledge for nation-building and global advancement of science and technology. They encouraged the graduates to uphold the Institute’s legacy of intellectual excellence, innovation and social responsibility.
Founded in 1931 by Professor P. C. Mahalanobis, ISI has played a pioneering role in advancing statistics, mathematics, computer science and interdisciplinary research in India and continues to contribute significantly to policy formulation, scientific development and data-driven decision-making.