The Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad and the Central University of Jammu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh here today. The MoU enables the two institutes to promote collaborative academic, research and capacity-building initiatives for a period of three years and thereafter subject to renewal. The MoU was signed by Shri Kalyan K. Roy, Registrar on behalf of ASCI and Mohd. Iqbal, Registrar, Central University, Jammu. Also present on the occasion were Shri R.H. Khwaja, Director General, ASCI and Prof. Ashok Aima, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Jammu. Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training, Shri B.P. Sharma and Shri C. Viswanath, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and Secretary, Department of Pensions & Pensioners’ Welfare also witnessed the MoU signing ceremony.
The MoU facilitates joint activities and synergy in areas such as capacity building, evaluation studies, executive education and related areas. This includes activities such as design, development and delivery of teaching and training programmes; reciprocal recognition of each other’s degrees, diplomas, certificates etc; exchange of teaching staff and students/participants for knowledge and experience-sharing and new learning; policy advocacy and research studies; sharing of academic materials, literature, publications etc; and knowledge events such as conferences, seminars, workshops etc. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said the MoU will send a message to other Universities, especially in northern India, to build on such partnerships which provide global exposure. At Independence there were very few Universities, but now the issue is not accessibility but quality of education, he said. In times of global synergy, you cannot live in isolation, he added. Dr Jitendra Singh was later presented with a book on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam by Shri Khwaja, DG, ASCI. Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that a state-of-art resource centre, ‘Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Center for Policy Research and Analysis’ was formally launched in October 2016 at the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM), Shillong in tribute to the former President. Other faculty members and Senior Officers of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions were also during the MoU signing ceremony.