IRMA gets Rs 25 cr for revamp

Welcoming the grant,chairman of IRMA,Professor Yoginder Alagh said the funds would be used to remodel the institute. “We had approached the finance ministry for the grant for re-visioning plan of IRMA. We plan to set up new colleges,launch new courses and training programmes in areas like local self-governance institutions,self-finance institutions and rural studies,” Alagh told The Indian Express.

The chairman further said the plan also envisages strengthening research in rural development. “However,cooperative sector will continue to remain the core focus area of the institute,” he said.

The maximum of grant would be used in the next fiscal year but the exercise would go on till two-three years,he said. “The funds will be used in a big way this year. New colleges and other infrastructure will be built,” he said.

In a release,director of the institute,Jeemol Unii,said they have a year-long exercise of visioning and drawing up a plan for the next phase of growth. This plan envisions the IRMA as a knowledge institution with the ability to create knowledge that is truly transformative.

“This plan includes significantly ramping up the campus facilities to enable greater intake of students; offer different programmes both short and long duration and contribute to the professionalisation of management programmes oriented towards growth of the rural areas and rural enterprises and creation of centres of excellence in research,” the director further said.

The proposed plan has a total budget of Rs 100 crore. “It was in this context that the IRMA had requested a one-time grant of Rs 25 crore from the Union Budget. The rest of the funds will be raised from other sources as well as though resource mobilisation plan,” he said.