New Delhi: A new dawn has broken for management education in the Northeast with the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, August 19, approving the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The historic legislation paves the way for the establishment of a brand-new Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Guwahati, with the Union government committing a substantial ₹550 crore in capital support for the project. The passage of the Bill marks a significant milestone, as the Guwahati campus will become only the second IIM in the region, after the one in Shillong. Piloted in the House by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Bill was passed by a voice vote even as the Opposition continued its protests over the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, leading to the adjournment of the day’s proceedings after the Bill’s passage.
The establishment of IIM Guwahati is a key component of a broader Special Development Package (SDP) for Assam, following a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed by the Centre, the Assam government, and representatives of the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa). The move to bring a premier management institution to the state was based on a request from the Assam government, which highlighted the state’s strategic geographical location and its crucial role in the region’s overall development. With this addition, the total number of IIMs declared as institutions of national importance will rise to 22. The Bill further states that until the first Board of IIM Guwahati is constituted, the central government will have the authority to appoint a person or persons to exercise all the powers and functions of the board.