State Transformation Commission and University of Lucknow sign MoU to set up Policy & Development Research Vertical

Lucknow: The State Transformation Commission (STC), Government of Uttar Pradesh, and the University of Lucknow signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Yojana Bhawan, Lucknow, to establish a "Policy and Development Research Vertical" under the existing 'Centre for Development and Policy Research (CDPR)' at the University.

The MoU was signed by Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, IAS (Retd.), Chief Executive Officer, State Transformation Commission, and Prof. J.P. Saini, Vice Chancellor, University of Lucknow. 

The new vertical will work to strengthen evidence-based policy making in the state, promote development-oriented research, and accelerate the state’s development agenda. 

The MoU will be effective for an initial period of three years and can be extended annually for a further two years based on requirement.

Key objectives of the MoU
According to officials, the primary aim is to strengthen institutional collaboration between the State Transformation Commission and the University of Lucknow to promote policy-based research and prepare knowledge-based documents for good governance and sustainable development.

Under the agreement, the vertical will:
- Prepare key development documents for the state
- Compile the State Economic Survey and State Development Report
- Rank districts based on various development indicators
- Identify development challenges in Uttar Pradesh  
- Undertake research on multiple subjects to strengthen evidence-based policy making in the state

Officials present
The event was attended by Prof. J.P. Saini, Vice Chancellor, University of Lucknow; Prof. Arvind Mohan, Dean, Faculty of Arts; Dr. Bhavna Mishra, Registrar; Prof. Mukul Srivastava, Director, IPPR; Prof. Geetanjali Mishra, Director; along with Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, CEO, STC, senior officers of the Commission and all its members.

Addressing the gathering, Prof. J.P. Saini assured full academic and institutional support from the University to achieve the objectives of the MoU. He said the University would extend all possible cooperation whenever required to make this partnership effective and result-oriented.

He further stated that with a shared vision, collective commitment, and strong collaboration between governance and academic institutions, the goal of _Viksit Uttar Pradesh - 2047_ can be successfully achieved.