A retired professor who taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University stepped down on Monday from a 28-member panel the government had set up late in December to bring consistency to various economic indices.

Professor C.P. Chandrasekhar, member of the panel of statisticians and economists headed by India’s former chief statistician Pranab Sen, cited “current conditions” in a letter to the committee’s chairman.

The panel’s first meeting was scheduled for Tuesday.

“I regret to inform you that, because of the situation in JNU where I stay, I will be unable to attend tomorrow’s meeting. Further, I feel that, under current conditions, this Committee is unlikely to be able to restore the credibility of the statistical system, which has been undermined in the recent past,” Chandrasekhar wrote.

“I wish to record my appreciation of the sustained efforts of the large number of colleagues within the statistical system whom I have greatly valued working with in the past to build a robust and credible statistical base. It is unfortunate that political pressures have reduced their autonomy now, and efforts to consolidate a well-designed system are being subverted. In these circumstances, I will not be able to serve on this Committee.”