Now an Indira centre at Oxford

On May 30,Ramesh wrote to Mukherjee,asking the government to extend its support to the proposed centre,which is aimed to be functional by 2017 coinciding with the birth centenary of the former prime minister.

To work towards advancement of research in food security,public health,environment sustainability and global governance subjects described as close to Indira Gandhis heart the centre will also invite Indian students to Oxford as Indira Gandhi scholars.

The centre will be set up in a new building spread over 10 acres near the Radcliffe Observatory and will have teaching and conferencing facilities as well as exhibition space. The university already has a Middle East Centre and an Oxford China Centre and is positioning this centre as an Oxford India facility.

This tribute is said to have been endorsed by Sonia Gandhi. The funding for the centre will be split between the Indian government and Oxford University,who will give 25 per cent each,and the remaining 50 per cent will be raised through donors.

Incidentally,Indira Gandhis stint at Somerville,which she joined in1937 to study Modern History,was not particularly impressive as she is said to have struggled with her Latin there and ultimately did not finish her degree after bouts of ill health. That apart,Somerville College is not considered among the top ranking colleges affiliated to Oxford University. Shooting down such considerations,the government is even examining possibilities of an institutional linkage between Somerville and Visva-Bharati University where Indira Gandhi studied in the 1930s.

According to a June 22 Finance Ministry memorandum,accessed by The Indian Express,the Finance Minister approved the Rural Development Ministers proposal and granted Rs 25 crore to the centre which may be in joint collaboration with Visva-Bharati University as the late Indira Gandhi was a student in both the institutions.