Score:
9.5/15
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Topper’s Copy
GS2
Governance
15 marks
“The Draft Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill, 2025 has triggered debates around institutional autonomy and cooperative federalism.” Discuss the key concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the proposed changes.
Student’s Answer
Evaluation by SuperKalam
Demand of the Question
- Discuss stakeholder concerns about institutional autonomy under the Draft ISI Bill 2025
- Analyze concerns related to cooperative federalism
- Examine the proposed changes and their implications for various stakeholders
What you wrote:
The Draft Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill 2025 has sparked debates after experts warned that new governance and structural provisions may affect institutional autonomy, state participation and credibility of India’s statistical system.
The Draft Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill 2025 has sparked debates after experts warned that new governance and structural provisions may affect institutional autonomy, state participation and credibility of India’s statistical system.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could briefly define what institutional autonomy means in the statistical context (e.g., independence in data collection, analysis, and publication without political interference).
What you wrote:
[DRAWING: A diagram with "key Provisions of ISI bill" in a central shape. Arrows point from the center to five surrounding points.
Top: "Central government-authorised to issue policy directions to ISI".
Top-right: "Revised governing Council - Higher proportion of government nominees".
Bottom-right: "Broad executive supervision over administration and functioning".
Bottom-left: "No assured representation for states in governance structure".
Top-left: "Greater government role in appointing director and senior leadership".]
Stakeholder Concerns Corresponding to Provisions
1. Risk to institutional autonomy: Government director's power may influence survey design, data publication timelines and research freedom.
2. Weakening of Academic and professional independence: A government heavy council may dilute peer-driven statistical governance critical for credibility.
3. Threat to Cooperative federalism: Lack of state participation could reduce alignment between national datasets and state level realities, affecting decentralised policymaking.
4. Potential Politicisation of Appointments: Greater government control over leadership raises fears of compromised neutrality in long term statistical planning.
5. Decline in data quality and public trust: Increased oversight may create perception of interference, affecting data reliability.
[DRAWING: A diagram with "key Provisions of ISI bill" in a central shape. Arrows point from the center to five surrounding points.
Top: "Central government-authorised to issue policy directions to ISI".
Top-right: "Revised governing Council - Higher proportion of government nominees".
Bottom-right: "Broad executive supervision over administration and functioning".
Bottom-left: "No assured representation for states in governance structure".
Top-left: "Greater government role in appointing director and senior leadership".]
Stakeholder Concerns Corresponding to Provisions
1. Risk to institutional autonomy: Government director's power may influence survey design, data publication timelines and research freedom.
2. Weakening of Academic and professional independence: A government heavy council may dilute peer-driven statistical governance critical for credibility.
3. Threat to Cooperative federalism: Lack of state participation could reduce alignment between national datasets and state level realities, affecting decentralised policymaking.
4. Potential Politicisation of Appointments: Greater government control over leadership raises fears of compromised neutrality in long term statistical planning.
5. Decline in data quality and public trust: Increased oversight may create perception of interference, affecting data reliability.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could reference international examples like the UK Statistics Authority model or Statistics Canada's independence framework to illustrate best practices in statistical autonomy.
- Can include specific stakeholder voices (e.g., Chief Statisticians of states expressing concerns about reduced representation, or academic bodies like the Indian Statistical Association highlighting research freedom issues).
- Could mention historical context of ISI's role since 1931 and how proposed changes deviate from established traditions.
What you wrote:
[DRAWING: A flowchart with "Path forward - Government measures" in a box on the left. An arrow points from this box to a list of four measures on the right.
The measures are:
- "Add statutory autonomy safeguards and transparent appointment process for leadership"
- "Create federal coordination forum for ensuring state participation in statistical decisions"
- "Mandate peer reviews, external audits & open data standards for credibility"
- "Provide stable funding and modern infrastructure to strengthen institutional capacity."]
[DRAWING: A flowchart with "Path forward - Government measures" in a box on the left. An arrow points from this box to a list of four measures on the right.
The measures are:
- "Add statutory autonomy safeguards and transparent appointment process for leadership"
- "Create federal coordination forum for ensuring state participation in statistical decisions"
- "Mandate peer reviews, external audits & open data standards for credibility"
- "Provide stable funding and modern infrastructure to strengthen institutional capacity."]
Suggestions to improve:
- Could specify legislative safeguards like fixed tenure for Directors (e.g., 5-year non-renewable terms similar to Election Commission model).
- Can elaborate on the federal coordination forum structure (e.g., quarterly meetings with state Chief Statisticians, representation formula based on population/economic contribution).
What you wrote:
To build a globally trusted, evidence-driven ecosystem, India must align the ISI bill with UN principles, adopting autonomous institutions, SDMX-based technical standards, cooperative federal mechanisms, for long term credibility.
To build a globally trusted, evidence-driven ecosystem, India must align the ISI bill with UN principles, adopting autonomous institutions, SDMX-based technical standards, cooperative federal mechanisms, for long term credibility.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could reference specific initiatives like India's G20 presidency commitments on data governance or alignment with SDG monitoring frameworks to make the conclusion more contemporary and actionable.
Excellent answer with innovative use of diagrams and comprehensive coverage of stakeholder concerns. The visual elements significantly enhance understanding while maintaining analytical depth throughout the discussion.
Demand of the Question
- Discuss stakeholder concerns about institutional autonomy under the Draft ISI Bill 2025
- Analyze concerns related to cooperative federalism
- Examine the proposed changes and their implications for various stakeholders
What you wrote:
The Draft Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill 2025 has sparked debates after experts warned that new governance and structural provisions may affect institutional autonomy, state participation and credibility of India’s statistical system.
The Draft Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill 2025 has sparked debates after experts warned that new governance and structural provisions may affect institutional autonomy, state participation and credibility of India’s statistical system.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could briefly define what institutional autonomy means in the statistical context (e.g., independence in data collection, analysis, and publication without political interference).
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