In line with some of the world’s best business schools including Harvard, one of India’s top academia — the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA) — announced to set up a School of Public Policy.
The school to function from sprawling IIMA campus will be supported by Sajjan Jindal headed JSW Steel limited. JSW will contribute `50 crore for setting up the infrastructure as well as operational cost. The courses, which are yet to be framed will commence from academic
year 2016-17.
“We are working on the detailing of the courses. A panel of experts including IIMA faculties will come up with a plan about duration, content and other details about the course,” said IIMA Director Ashish Nanda, adding that it is just a beginning as the memorandum of understanding was signed between IIMA and JSW to lay the foundation stone of the school at its campus.
IIMA will integrate existing research, teaching and engagement with policy makers and implementers and will also strengthen IIMA’s activities in the public policy, said Nanda.
“Our economy is maturing. And in the next 3-4 years, it will figure in the top four economies in the world. So, as the growth will happen there will be issues to address and that would require attention to sort out through intellectual debate. This school will provide that avenue to debate such issues,” said Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director, Jindal Steel ltd.
Issues like land acquisition for industries and many others need to be debated and discussed, said Jindal, adding, “There is a lot of debates happening by politicians on the issue but there is no intellectual debate taking place as how to discuss the aspects of this land Acquisition Bill.”