Policy Discussions Under The Banyan Tree (UTBT) is a students’ initiative at Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics. The Institute’s campus houses the historic Banyan Tree under which Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mahatma Gandhi discussed issues of national importance under the British Raj and began charting the independence movement. Students and teachers alike gather under the Tree once a week and discuss and debate over a pre-decided relevant Government policy. The discussion has found regular participants from Symbiosis School of Economics and Fergusson College as well. Soon after its fourth discussion, UTBT found its way to Pune Mirror, an English daily.
UTBT now seeks to expands its scope by including a variety of topics that interests the youth. Members in UTBT are expected to have a knack for public policy. The team brainstorms about the topic, frames relevant questions and records and publishes minutes of the meet.