ISI Bill 2026: Jairam Ramesh demands Finance Committee referral, slams BJP panel bias
Synopsis
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has turned a procedural demand — refer the ISI Bill 2026 to the Finance Standing Committee — into a pointed indictment of the Modi government's legislative strategy, backed by a damning data point: bill referrals to standing committees collapsed from 71% under UPA to just 16% under NDA. The allegation: Opposition-chaired committees are being bypassed by design.
Key Takeaways
Jairam Ramesh demanded on 4 August that the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 , be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance .
He alleged the Modi government routes bills to BJP-led joint committees when standing committees are chaired by Opposition MPs.
Bill referrals to standing committees fell from 71% (2009–2014) to 16% (2019–2024), according to Ramesh.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 , was cited as a recent example — bypassing an Education committee then chaired by Digvijaya Singh .
The ISI Bill, 2026 , introduced on 3 August , seeks to convert the Kolkata institute from a not-for-profit entity into a corporate body.
Congress General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday, 4 August demanded that the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, accusing the Narendra Modi-led government of systematically routing legislation to joint committees headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members whenever standing committees are chaired by Opposition MPs.
What Ramesh Said
'Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have demanded that the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, be referred for detailed examination and wider consultations by the Parliamentary Standing Committee concerned (which is Finance in this case). Hopefully, this demand will be accepted,' Ramesh posted on social media platform X.
The Finance Standing Committee is currently chaired by Bhartruhari Mahtab, a BJP MP representing Cuttack in Odisha. Mahtab has held the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat consecutively since 1999, initially as a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate before switching to the BJP.
The Referral Pattern Congress Alleges
Ramesh argued that the government's approach reflects a deliberate pattern rather than procedural convention. He cited stark data: between 2019 and 2024, only 16 per cent of bills were referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees, compared to 71 per cent between 2009 and 2014 under former Prime Minister the late Manmohan Singh.
Calling it a 'modus operandi', Ramesh pointed to two earlier instances involving biodiversity protection and forest conservation legislation, where bills were routed to BJP-led joint committees rather than the relevant standing committees.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill Precedent
The Congress leader cited the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, as the most recent example. According to Ramesh, that bill was deliberately not referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education — then chaired by senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh — and was instead sent to a joint committee led by a BJP MP.
Notably, Ramesh drew a contrast with the UPA era: 'In former PM late Manmohan Singh's tenure, even signature legislations like the now-bulldozed MGNREGA and the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 were referred to BJP Chairpersons like Kalyan Singh and Sumitra Mahajan,' he said.
About the ISI Bill, 2026
The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday, 3 August. It proposes a new legal framework for the Kolkata-based Indian Statistical Institute, replacing the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959. A key structural change in the bill would convert the institute from a not-for-profit legal entity into a corporate body.
With Parliament in session, the Opposition's demand for a standing committee referral is likely to shape the bill's legislative trajectory in the coming days.
Point of View
And it deserves scrutiny beyond party lines. Parliamentary standing committees exist precisely to give legislation cross-party expert examination; routing bills to ad hoc joint committees with government-friendly chairs hollows out that function. The ISI Bill's proposed conversion of a storied institution from not-for-profit to corporate body is itself a consequential structural change that warrants rigorous committee examination. Whether the government accepts the referral demand will be a visible test of its stated commitment to legislative consultation.
NationPress
4 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026?
The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, is a proposed law introduced in the Lok Sabha on 3 August 2025 to replace the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959. It seeks to convert the Kolkata-based Indian Statistical Institute from a not-for-profit legal entity into a corporate body.
Why is Jairam Ramesh demanding a Finance Committee referral?
Ramesh argues the bill falls under the Finance Standing Committee's jurisdiction and should receive detailed scrutiny there. He alleges the Modi government has a pattern of bypassing Opposition-chaired standing committees by routing bills to BJP-led joint committees instead.
What data did Ramesh cite to support his allegation?
Ramesh stated that between 2019 and 2024, only 16 per cent of bills were referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees, compared to 71 per cent between 2009 and 2014 under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance?
The Finance Standing Committee is currently chaired by Bhartruhari Mahtab, a BJP MP from the Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha, who has held the seat since 1999.
Which other bill did Ramesh cite as an example of this alleged pattern?
Ramesh cited the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which he said was not referred to the Education Standing Committee — then chaired by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh — and was instead sent to a joint committee led by a BJP MP.
