HRD Ministry, state govt sign MoU for IIM in Jammu

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 24

The Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Higher Education Department of the J&K Government for establishing an IIM at Jammu.

The HRD Ministry announced the setting up of an IIM at Jammu in 2015 and it had desired the state government to provide 200 acres of land at a suitable location free of cost and free from all encumbrances for the purpose. The HRD Ministry has intimated that if the state government provides an approach road then Raika village would be a preferable site for the IIM-Jammu, otherwise Nagrota is the recommended site.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Minister for Education Naeem Akhter and Minister of State for Education Priya Sethi by the Director, IIM, Lucknow, who represented the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development, an official spokesman said here in a statement.

As per the MoU, the IIM would be set up in Jammu at one of the desired places selected by the state government and also the work for establishing a transit campus on a few designated places in Jammu would be taken up immediately, the statement said.

The MOU was signed by Dr Ajit Prasad, Director, IIM, Lucknow, and Dr Asghar Samoon, Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education, at the civil secretariat, Srinagar, it added.

“Naeem Akhter termed the MoU as a landmark decision that will go a long way in producing world-class management professional from the state. He also asked the HRD Ministry to work concurrently for establishing an offsite campus of the IIM-Jammu in Srinagar to benefit students of the Kashmir division too,” it added.

Priya Sethi also called for creating awareness programmes and special coaching classes so that prospective students became aware and were trained for qualifying for admission to the IIM-Jammu, the statement added.

“According to the MoU, IIM-Lucknow will be the mentor institute for the IIM-Jammu acting through its Director, Department of Higher Education, MHRD,” it added.

According to the MoU for establishing the transit campus for the IIM-Jammu, the Higher Education Department has requested the Registrar, University of Jammu, to vacate sheds near the entrance gate to hand over the same to the IIM-Jammu and vacant the administrative block of the Government College of Engineering at Old University Campus, Jammu, which has also been provided to the IIM-Jammu. The IIM-Lucknow will build classrooms, mess, hostels, etc, at these places after the demolition of old structures and repair/alteration of buildings wherever necessary.