IRHPA (Intensification of Research  in High Priority Areas) is a complementary  program to the SERC program of DST, Government of India with activities consisting  of setting up of units/core Groups around an  eminent scientist and Major National Facilities to nucleate research  activities in these areas. The  scheme has contributed to augment general R&D capabilities at academic institutions and national laboratories.

Under the said IRPHA scheme the Center has been set up at the Indian  Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata because of its outstanding contribution and achievements in the area of soft computing and machine intelligence. The center is aimed at conducting research both theoretical and applied, of international standard, in the fields of soft computing. The Center was formally inaugurated by Prof. M. G. K. Menon on 25 October, 2005.

The Center has been declared an "Associate Institution" of ISI in 2010.