The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on Tuesday announced setting up of the JSW School of Public Policy at the IIM-A campus with financial support from JSW Steel Ltd.
The financial contribution from JSW, which is upwards of Rs 50 crore, will be utilised for setting up the infrastructure and operating the school, which is likely to start its courses during 2016-17.
“We have not yet decided about the detailing of the course. A panel of experts including IIM-A faculty will come up with a plan about duration, content and other details about the course,” said Ashish Nanda, Director, IIM-A.
The memorandum of understanding was signed between IIMA and JSW Steel Ltd to lay the foundation stone of the school at its campus here.
“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.
Commenting on the current state of public policy discussions, Jindal mentioned the ongoing debate about the proposed land acquisition Bill. “Land acquisition is the biggest issue at present. There is a lot of debate by politicians on the issue but there is no intellectual debate taking place to discuss the various aspects of this Bill. Therefore I always believed in a dedicated school for public policy, where such topics will be debated,” said Jindal.
The school, which will be run by IIM-A, will integrate existing research, teaching and engagement with policy makers and implementors and will also strengthen IIM-A's activities in public policy.