Nagpur: The Second Capital City of Nagpur received yet another feather in its cap and was put on the map of the country fantastically when Union Human Resource Development Ministry cleared setting up of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in city, the first in Maharashtra.
The joyful news of the IIM in Nagpur was flashed by Dharmendra Jore, Political Editor, Mid-Day, Mumbai when he tweeted the “breaking news” to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Recently, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that 200-acre land under the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) would be given for setting up of the Indian Institute of Management ( IIM) here.
MIHAN is the biggest economical development project currently underway in the country in terms of investments. The project aims to exploit the central location of Nagpur and convert the present airport into a major cargo hub with integrated road and rail connectivity.
Nagpur wins the race:
Education hub Pune has lost the race for the first IIM in the State. State Education Minister Vinod Tawde had announced in the Legislative Council that the first IIM in Maharashtra would come up in Nagpur.
He has, however, promised to give Pune the next IIM (Indian Institute of Management) or an equivalent institute. “Pune is a known seat of education and the next IIM or an equivalent institute will come up in the city. This government aims at equitable growth of all regions,” the BJP minister had said explaining the decision.
An IIM in Pune was one of the promises the BJP made when the party was campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. Aurangabad was also in contention for an IIM but Nagpur beat the rest in allocating land and sending a proposal to the Union HRD Ministry.
Two hundred acres have been allotted in project area of MIHAN for setting up the IIM but the first academic session of the new IIM is likely to start at Visveswaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) next year. This arrangement will continue till the IIM building is built on the allotted land.
According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi may visit next month to lay the foundation stone of the institute.
