Bill in Lok Sabha to make IIM Guwahati institution of national importance

New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) A bill to include IIM Guwahati to the schedule of the Indian Institutes of Management Act to make it an institution of national importance was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 amid din created by the Opposition over the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. According to the draft law, the Centre, the Assam government and representatives of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) signed a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) for all-round development of the state.

According to the MoS, a number of developmental projects are to be implemented by the Union government under a Special Development Package (SDP).

Establishment of an IIM at Guwahati as an institution of national importance is one of the projects under the SDP.

At present, there are 21 IIMs that are declared as institutions of national importance and each of those are specified in the Schedule to the IIM Act.

The Assam government has requested for establishment of an IIM in the state, keeping in view the geographical location of the state and its all-round development.

"Assam is one of the very few states with more than three crore population which does not have an IIM. As per latest published results of the All-India Survey of Higher Education, more than five and a half lakh students are enrolled in higher education institutions in Assam," the Bill noted.

"Assam is at the centrestage of all round development of the region. Establishing an IIM at Assam shall boost the overall education and development of the region and open up significant opportunities for the students of North Eastern Region of India to develop managerial skills," it said.

The Bill noted that until the first Board of IIM Guwahati is constituted under this Act, all the powers and functions which may be exercised or performed by or on behalf of such Board shall be exercised and performed by such person or persons as the Central government may direct on this behalf. PTI GJS NAB GJS KVK KVK