India, June 15, 2026: The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) has approved the establishment of a dedicated Department of Statistics and Data Science, marking a significant step towards strengthening education, research, and innovation in one of the most rapidly evolving scientific domains.
The newly established Department will bring together IIT Kanpur’s existing academic programmes in the field, including the BS–MS Programmes in Statistics and Data Science, the MSc Programme in Statistics, and the PhD Programme in Statistics. The MSc programme (admissions through JAM) has been running since the 1970s, while the BS–MS programme (admissions through JEE) has been running since 2021. These programmes will now be housed under the newly formed Department of Statistics and Data Science, ensuring greater academic identity, coherence, and strategic growth. A total of 60 seats will be available for the MSc programme and around 30 seats for the BS–MS programme.
The new department builds upon IIT Kanpur’s long-standing contributions to statistics, probability, and quantitative sciences. Over the years, the Statistics and Probability Group has developed a strong academic and research ecosystem, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes while contributing significantly to interdisciplinary research across diverse domains. The Department has been established with the goal of becoming the leading voice of Statistical Sciences in the country. The need for a distinct academic identity for the discipline has been under consideration for several years, and the success of the BS–MS Programme in Statistics and Data Science has further established the need for a dedicated academic unit.
The establishment of the new academic unit also aligns with global and national trends driven by the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, where robust statistical foundations are critical for building trustworthy, reliable, and interpretable systems. A key challenge globally remains the shortage of highly trained faculty in statistical sciences, and this initiative aims to contribute in addressing that gap.
Globally, leading universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, and UC Berkeley have well established departments dedicated to Statistics and Data Science. While such dedicated departments have been limited in India, outside specialised institutes, IIT Kanpur is uniquely positioned, given its strong academic legacy in statistics, to take this step and set a benchmark for similar developments in the country.
About IIT Kanpur
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, established in 1959, is recognised as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. Renowned for excellence in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary education, IIT Kanpur spans a 1,050-acre lush green campus and comprises 20 departments, 27 centres, three interdisciplinary programmes, and three specialised schools. With over 570 faculty members and more than 9,500 students, the institute continues to lead in innovation, research, and holistic development.
