Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 538/16

GOVERNOR INAUGURATES DR.APJ ABDUL KALAM CENTRE FOR POLICY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

To commemorate the 85th birth anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the Governor of Meghalaya, Shri V. Shanmuganathan today inaugurated the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Center for Policy Research and Analysis at RGIIM Campus, Shillong in the presence of Dr. Mukul Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Shri Naveen Verma, Secretary, DoNER, Shri R. Muivah, Secretary, NEC, Shri K. S. Kropha, Chief Secretary, Shri Falguni Rajkumar, Chairman, BoG, IIM, Shillong, Prof Amitabha De, Director, RGIIM, Shillong among others. In his inaugural address, the Governor said that the Centre will provide opportunities for the holistic development of the northeastern region and also facilitate networking with other centers of excellence within northeastern states. Stating that the potentiality and creativity of the youth should not go into waste, the Governor also stressed on the need to put North East on top priority as far as developmental activities are concerned. The Governor urged the Centre to focus on the potentiality and creativity of the people especially in the bamboo and cane sector which is the potentiality of the region. Dr. Mukul Sangma in his speech said that many policy decisions, the policies which are developed on the strength of the region based on the whole research and analysis, will be guided by this Centre. Many a times we end up rolling ambitious programmes but the way we do it becomes a reason for dislocation of good programmes and therefore the whole support system and the institution partners available around us must be exploited to the fullest potentiality for the effective implementations of those programmes and for the benefit of the people of the region, he added. Dwelling at length on the issues of the NE region’s disconnection from the other parts of the country, the Chief Minister said that institutions and centres of learning can bridge those gaps and create a new possible ways of connectivity. He informed that the State Government will have all the possible collaborative exercise with the IIM in the implementation of the various programmes and initiatives of the Government. He also urged the institute to collaborate with scientific communities and look at the possibilities as to how the Government can leverage upon some of the programmes that has been initiated and implemented. During the programme, a MoU was signed and exchanged between the IIM, Shillong, DoNER and the NEC. The Governor and the Chief Minister along with the students of various schools also released balloons to mark the 85th birthday anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.