Kolkata, May 28, 2026

 

The International Statistical Education Centre (ISEC), an Associate Institute of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), held its 77th Convocation today at ISI, Kolkata, where diplomas in “Statistical Theory and Applications” were awarded to trainees from several countries including Fiji, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Gambia and Zimbabwe. 

The convocation was inaugurated by Prof. S. P. Mukherjee, Chairman, Board of Directors, ISEC, while Prof. Amartya Kumar Dutta, Director, ISI, delivered the welcome address and awarded diplomas to the graduating trainees. Prof. Ayanendranath Basu, Acting Member-Secretary of ISEC, presented the annual review of the Centre’s activities.

Padma Shri awardee Prof. Bimal Kumar Roy, former Chairperson of the National Statistical Commission and former Director of ISI, delivered the Convocation address as the Chief Guest. In his address, he highlighted the importance of ethical and responsible use of statistics in governance and policymaking.

While addressing the international trainees, Prof. Roy said, “You work for your people. In most of the work you do, you need to make decisions for making your people happy. For this decision-making, you use data and statistics."

Speaking on the importance of sound statistical interpretation, he cautioned against drawing simplistic conclusions from data and reminded students that “correlation is not causation.” He also underlined the need for balancing data use with privacy and public trust. “Protect privacy, build trust,” he said, stressing that official statistics must always safeguard the dignity and confidentiality of citizens.

Encouraging the graduating trainees, Prof. Roy added, “Without good data and good analysis, all governments walk in the dark. If you use statistics with wisdom and honesty, you can help your countries a great deal.”

ISEC, established in 1950 through the initiative of Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis, continues to provide advanced training in theoretical and applied statistics to participants from across Asia, Africa and other regions, with support from the Government of India. Till date, more than 1,746 trainees from around 86 countries have received diplomas from the Centre.

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