Frontlist | Trump signs Law Gandhi-King scholarly exchange initiative

Educational forum between America and India established by US President Donald Trump as he signed the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative, which is an educational forum between America and India to study the work and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The US government in collaboration with India will spend USD one million a year through fiscal 2025 for the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative. The law has been written by civil rights icon John Lewis, who died early this year and co-sponsored by Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera.

How will Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative work?

The financial plan is as such USD 2 million for just FY 2021 for the Gandhi-King Global Academy, and USD30 million for 2021 for the US-India Gandhi-King Development Foundation. The new law allows the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish a US-India development foundation that would leverage the Indian private sector to address development priorities in India. The development foundation would receive USD 15 million per year from 2022 through 2025 — but only if India's private sector commits to match US government contributions.

Background of the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would cost USD51 million over five years. In 2009, late Congressman John Lewis led a congressional delegation visit to India to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Dr King’s pilgrimage to India. Inspired by his visit, Congressman Lewis created the Gandhi-King Exchange Act to seek to apply the philosophies of Gandhi and Dr King Jr to conflict resolution efforts and current policy challenges.