"Alumni as a body can contribute substantially in the development of an institution. Most of the world famous educational institutions have developed as a result of the contribution of their alumni," Mukherjee said in a statement issued by the President's House, after his meeting with a group of alumni of ISI.
The President said that ISI is a leading institution in the country for research, teaching and application of statistics, natural sciences and social sciences.
It is a unique institution whose foundation was laid by Professor P C Mahalanobis. Prof Mahalanobis who is known for his pioneering work in applied statistics is credited for the economic planning model that India implemented in its Second Five Year Plan.