Kolkata's Indian Statistical Institute marks Mahalanobis's birth anniversary, celebrates 75 years of NSS
By Shambhavi Pandey
The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata, commemorated the 132nd birth anniversary of its founder, Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, on Sunday.
Observed nationally as Statistics Day and internally as Workers' Day, the celebration this year focused on '75 Years of the National Sample Survey,' one of Mahalanobis's most enduring contributions to India's statistical infrastructure.
The ceremony opened with faculty, students and guests garlanding Mahalanobis's bust and planting a sapling on the Amrapali Lawn. Dr. Paramita Das, recalling the early resistance Mahalanobis faced in establishing statistics as a discipline, quoted Sir Ronald Fisher and highlighted current infrastructural constraints at ISI.
In her address, Director Professor Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay called for honest self-assessment and urged the community to recognise ISI's global impact in data science. Dean of Studies Dr. Biswabrata Pradhan emphasised the need to close funding gaps and expand international collaborations to strengthen the Institute's world standing. Chief guest Professor Shrikrishna Gopalrao Dani, a Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar laureate, lauded Mahalanobis's visionary planning work, likening him to the divine architect Vishwakarma. He also praised ISI's willingness to confront its challenges openly.
Former faculty member Professor Manoranjan Pal offered personal recollections of Mahalanobis's mentorship and institutional leadership, underscoring his dual legacy as scholar and builder. Cultural performances by ISI club members followed, and the gathering concluded with a collective rendition of the national anthem. Speakers agreed that preserving Mahalanobis's spirit of scientific service, equity and national progress must guide the Institute's path forward.
(Shambhavi Pandey is an intern at the Kolkata office of The Indian Express)
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