The battle for rights between IIMs and HRD Ministry has intensified, with IIM Ahmedabad hitting out through its letter opposing the new IIM Bill 2015 drafted with government’s intervention.
Recalling the logjam that emerged in the past, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson, Biocon said “There has been an attempt from the government even in yester years to try and get more control of these IIMs and there has been a strong backlash from the IIMs even in the past saying this is absolutely not in the best interest of the institute.”
IIM Ahmedabad is the latest institution to send a strongly worded letter to the HRD Ministry opposing the draft proposal which looks to increase the government's control over a range of areas, including the fee structure and the selection of the chairman of the board at all IIMs.
The Directors of IIM Kolkata, Lucknow, Bangalore and Kozhikode have already opposed the bill.
Commenting upon the veracity of what the Bill holds, Arvind Sahay, Dean, IIM-Ahmedabad said “The intention is again very good. We want to make the IIMs into global world class institutions. If the mechanism works to facilitate coordination amongst the IIM, it is great. However, if it is used as a body to issue instructions from thkirane ministry to all the IIMs, then it is extremely bad.”
The threat of these 13 premier institutions losing their autonomy and being reduced to mere operational centres, is highlighted by Sushil Vachani, Director, IIM-Bangalore. He says, "It all depends on how things are implemented. With those five or six words where the board can do things with the approval of the central government, it is very clear that if whoever is managing this from the central government wishes the government can subject the board's decisions on a number of areas. So, essentially the Bill would provide for the government to take control over the decision making and limit the autonomy of the board.”
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