Pune International Centre gets new campus

Pune, Jan 29 (PTI) A new campus of the Pune International Centre (PIC), a multi-faceted policy research think tank deliberating on issues of national importance, has come up here with facilities to host world class events.

The new campus, located in Pashan area and inaugurated on Sunday, is equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities, including the main administrative building, research wing, auditorium, convention hall and an art gallery, a release said.

In his message for the new centre, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama highlighted Pune's "vibrant intellectual environment" which, he said, is being leveraged by PIC as a platform for discussions on issues affecting both regional and national policies.

PIC president and renowned scientist Dr R A Mashelkar read out the Dalai Lama's message.

The new campus was a dream come true, Mashelkar said, adding that the Dalai Lama's blessings and message will continue to breathe life into the campus, ensuring that it stands not just as a physical space but as an eternal beacon of wisdom, compassion and harmony.

The centre was established on September 24, 2011, under the leadership of Mashelkar, senior economist and former bureaucrat Dr Vijay Kelkar and others.

Its comprises 514 distinguished members, 59 institutional members (from IITs, IIMs, universities, etc) and 14 corporate members.

Reflecting on the journey of PIC over the past 14 years, Mashelkar highlighted the contribution of its founders, including late Dilip Padgaonkar (journalist), late B G Deshmukh (ex-bureaucrat), and late Mohan Dharia (former Union minister and deputy chairman of the Planning Commission).

The centre would continue to be a torchbearer and melting pot of transformative ideas. "When people think of Pune, they should think of PIC," he said.

In addition to undertaking public policy research, PIC hosts major national and international conferences, and promotes the arts and culture.

Speaking on PIC's role in shaping public policy, Dr Vijay Kelkar said the centre is one of the first fully independent think tanks and challenges the monopoly of Delhi in policy research.

He said good policies must be knowledge-based and driven by a consensus.

He listed the various initiatives and verticals of PIC, such as in areas of national security, environment, cooperative federalism, the flagship Asia Economic Dialogue (AED), science, technology and innovation, and social innovation.

The research papers and four books published by PIC have found a place in government policies, Kelkar said. PTI SPK GK

Source: PTI