IIM directors to meet Sibal to discuss autonomy

Updated on: Tuesday, October 13, 2009

New Delhi: The government is set to hold a roundtable of IIM directors this week to discuss issues, including autonomy to the elite institutes and examine the implementation of R C Bhargava committee report which suggested setting up a pan-IIM board for greater excellence.

The directors will meet HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday here where they are expected to present a roadmap for the growth of the institutes.

'All issues, including their autonomy, growth and setting up of pan IIM board will be discussed at the roundtable. The IIMs may be asked to present their futuristic vision for growth,' a source said.

This is the first meeting of IIM directors with Sibal who took over the HRD Minister last May. The IIMs had earlier opposed the implementation of the Bhargava committee report, saying that it will curtail their autonomy.

The committee set up had disfavoured giving full autonomy to the institutes and suggested a pan-IIM board to help them achieve greater excellence.

IIMs have been established by the government with public funds and are perceived as public institutions and thus IIMs cannot expect to become fully independent of the government, the committee had said in its report.

The Bhargava committee had observed that the IIMs have failed to achieve greater degree of excellence as the key players governing them, including the government, have no real accountability for results. The IIM had strongly disapproved the recommendations.

The IIM directors will also give their views on the proposed Foreign Education Providers Bill. They will give their opinion on the entry of the foreign universities and their possible impact on the IIMs.

The government will discuss the plan of certain IIMs to open campuses abroad. IIM Bangalore has already evinced interest to set up a campus in Singapore.

However, the IIMs are unable to open the campus as their Memorandum of Association with the government does not allow them to go abroad.

The government has recently expressed readiness to allow them to amend the MoA to set up campus abroad with conditions. The government feels that the IIMs should not affect their own institute in the country while setting up campus abroad, sources said.

Sibal had earlier said the IIMs must deliver in India first. He has also said the government is ready to give incrementally autonomy to the IIMs provided they come up with a vision and fulfil it.

IIM directors to meet Sibal to discuss autonomy

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