Irani inaugurates academic session of IIM-Bodh Gaya
Union human resource development ( HRD) minister Smriti Irani on Monday formally inaugurated the academic session of Indian Institute of Management ( IIM)- Bodh Gaya.
Union human resource development ( HRD) minister Smriti Irani on Monday formally inaugurated the academic session of Indian Institute of Management ( IIM)- Bodh Gaya. She also opened the IIM Bodh Gaya’s transit campus in Magadh University’s (MU) directorate of distance education (DDE) building.
Speaking on the occasion, Irani urged the IIM-Bodh Gaya to introduce a course on religious tourism management to tap tourism potentials of Bihar. Irani said the NDA government at the Centre was committed to revive the past glory of the ancient Vikramshila university near Bhagalpur and a decision to this effect would be taken soon by the Union cabinet.
She also asked the IIM-Bodh Gaya to adopt at least one village adjacent to the institution and engage students to conduct survey and ground study there.
Bihar education minister PK Sahi, in his address, said the state government, which had provided the required land for the IIM on the Magadh University campus, would extend all cooperation in make Gaya an education hub. Magadh University vicechancellor M Ishtiyaque said the university would provide all logistic support required to run the IIM.
IIM-Calcutta director Shaibal Chattopadhyay said after mentoring IIM-Ranchi, “We will now make all efforts to make IIM-Bodh Gaya an international B school.”
IIM-Calcutta is the mentor institution for IIM-Bodh Gaya for a year.
The Magadh University has given around 20,000 sq ft of space spread over two floors of the DDE building for the IIM’s temporary campus. The second and the third floors would be used as administrative and academic blocks, respectively. The university has allotted 90 rooms in its hostel block to accommodate first-batch students of IIM-Bodh Gaya.
The union minister also laid the foundation stone of seven buildings of the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) campus at Panchanpur near Gaya town, about 100 km from here.
Addressing the gathering, Irani said the CUSB would open up more opportunities for higher education. She asked the CUSB authorities to adopt at least five villages around the university and ensure all-round development there. Responding to the demand of the vice chancellor Harish Chandra Rathore to set up a Kendriya Vidyalaya on the CUSB campus, Irani said she would take place a proposal before the Union cabinet. She asked the VC to submit the proposal soon.
