Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (also known as PC Mahalanobis) founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Calcutta (Kolkata). ISI is a Civil Service and Research institute which is recognised as an institute of national importance by the 1959 act of the Indian Parliament. It was established in the year 1931. It has four subsidiary centres focused in academics at Delhi, Bengluru, Chennai and Tezpur, and a branch at Giridih.