An eagle takes to the skies

It is well known that JRD Tata was fond of flying, but he also wanted India’s future leaders to soar high in the intellectual skies, like eagles do. This is the story of a unique Institution that he helped establish, in pursuit of this goal.

In March 1964, speaking at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, JRD emphasized the need to start a very different type of academic Institution “for the most talented” young Indians, who could grow to leadership positions in the future. In essence, he was reflecting a need for these young people to be trained not merely in the scientific spirit, or in the humanistic arts, but in a rigorous combination of both worlds. 

JRD was a great admirer of the educational system in France, and the benchmark in his mind was the French Grand Ecoles. He was impressed that over 70 percent of the top jobs in the French Civil Service and scientific Institutions were occupied by graduates of these excellent Institutions, which trained their students not merely in technical subjects, but also in “exceptionally severe moral and intellectual disciplines”. Hence, the young leaders emerging from the Grand Ecoles were well rounded people, with both depth and breadth of knowledge across fields as diverse as mathematics, psychology, history and sociology. This range of learning helped enormously as they progressed towards positions of decision making.

On 1st July 1964, JRD wrote to Indira Gandhi, suggesting that such an Institution could be created as a memorial to the late Jawaharlal Nehru, who had passed away earlier that year. He suggested that the project be undertaken by the Nehru Memorial Trust, with significant contribution from the Tata Group as well.  

JRD was duly called to a meeting of the Nehru Memorial Trust, which comprised of many leaders including Indira Gandhi, to discuss this proposal. Dr. Karan Singh, the former Prince Regent and Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, and now Minister of Aviation, was the secretary of this Trust. JRD went armed with the report of a detailed study led by the French Professor John Capelle, who was, at that time, Director General of Education in Paris. 

The Professor and an expert committee had examined what such an Institution in India should look like. One of the points he had made was that selected Indian students should have good grounding in Mathematics, just as it was in the Grand Ecoles, because the study of maths led to clarity of deep thought, logic and rigour in analysis.

Dr. Karan Singh, who was a scholar, poet and philosopher, took serious objection to this particular point.  JRD Tata has narrated this interesting episode in a speech which he delivered many years later, when the Institute was eventually inaugurated :

Karan Singh said to me – “Jeh, what is this nonsense about mathematics ? Do you mean to say that if this school of yours had been there when I was a college student, I would not have been admitted ?”

All I could say was – “Well, Karan, if you were as poor at mathematics as I was, then neither you nor I would have been admitted.”

Dr. Karan Singh did not take this too well. He threw the brochure on the table, and said “Nonsense”. As a result of which the proposal was summarily rejected.

So unfortunately the idea got dropped at that time. JRD was undoubtedly upset, but he was a determined man. Nearly twenty years later, in the early 1980s, he brought up the idea once again. By now, India had established its own Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Management (IIMs), which were fast becoming world-class. 

However, the need for rigorous, multi-disciplinary higher education, combining the sciences and the humanities, was still very relevant, particularly as continuing education for experienced professionals who were ready to make the leap to leadership positions. As many of us in the corporate world may have realized, being either engineer-MBAs or chartered accountants or liberal arts graduates does not necessarily give us the sheer breadth of perspective required for three to four decades of our careers.

Once again, in 1984, JRD Tata established a working group to consider this unique idea. He invited Professor Olmer from the Ministry of Education in Paris. He also invited some of India’s leading intellectuals - Professor MGK Menon, Professor Satish Dhawan, Dr. L.K. Jha, Dr. H.N. Sethna and Professor Rustom Choksi – to be members. 

This working group recommended an Institute of continuing education, which would go well beyond the IITs and IIMs. It would provide the intellectual rigour and joy of multi-disciplinary education to mid-career professionals poised for leadership. These people may be exceedingly talented in their own narrow fields, but new breadth of knowledge would help them achieve future breakthroughs for their Institutions, and for the nation at large.

Based on this recommendation, the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) was eventually established, in 1988. It was located within the campus of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, which itself had been established by Jamsetji Tata, founder of the Tata Group, nearly eighty years earlier. In many ways, NIAS is a sister Institute to IISc, and perhaps also evokes Jamsetji’s original vision, that “humanities” are as important as the “sciences” to raise the quality of life of the community. Just like IISc, NIAS does not carry the Tata name, but is dedicated to the nation.

This time around, JRD ensured that the proposal did not falter once again because of diverse views by the powers that be. He did so by ensuring initial funding of the project by the Dorabji Tata Trust. Thereafter, other Companies of the Tata Group, such as Tata Steel, Tata Motors (TELCO) and Tata Chemicals, also provided early grants.

Quite fittingly for an Institute of multi-disciplinary education, the first Director was Dr. Raja Ramanna, one of India’s most versatile minds. He had been Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, and had done outstanding research in nuclear physics ; but he was also a gifted pianist, and had authored books on the structure of music in ragas and western musical systems. 

Some of India’s finest intellectuals have taught at NIAS, and many of the multi-disciplinary areas of research conducted here are fascinating. NIAS now also offers a coveted doctoral program. Most recently, in 2017, a Centre for Spatial Analytics and Advanced GIS was established here, with support from the Tata Trusts, to bring the power of knowledge science to a wide range of societal issues, including agriculture and nutrition. 

It is this power of knowledge that is reflected in NIAS’s emblem (see picture above). Designed by the renowned Indian sculptor Balan Nambiar, this logo has its roots in a remarkable ancient Sanskrit work called the “Sulva Sutras”, composed prior to 6th century BC. Using deep knowledge of geometry, it portrays how bricks can be optimally arranged for the creation of a robust altar. Interestingly, the altar has the distinct shape of a falcon or eagle, which, to me, also represents knowledge and imagination soaring into the skies – the objective of this unique Institution.

Two aspects of this story have fascinated me. First, despite all his Corporate commitments as Chairman of the Tata Group, JRD Tata found and dedicated time to a subject such as multi-disciplinary education, because he passionately believed that this was important to his beloved country. Second, despite facing resistance and even rejection in his first attempt at creating this Institution, he displayed both patience and resilience, to make it happen, over twenty years later.

Belief, resilience and perseverance are some of the finest human qualities that each of us can aspire to, in our own lives. (Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian, Tata Sons).

(Note : The author acknowledges due credit to the Tata Central Archives for providing him some of the source material for the above story.)