Good sense prevails

The outrage over the inclusion of two sections in the draft Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2015, threatening the autonomy of the institutions, has forced the HRD Ministry to dilute the Bill. After the Ministry and top IIM executives had agreed upon what issues to be incorporated in the Bill in October 2014, the ministry, in a surprise move, inserted sections 35 and 36 (1), before putting it online for wider consultations. These sections give sweeping powers to the government, leaving the IIM boards to function as mere operating centres. The ministry had earlier courted controversy with the IITs.   

 Fuelled by the resignations of two IIT directors — Anil Kakodkar and Raghunath K Shevgaonkar — who had expressed their displeasure over the interference by the ministry, the apprehensive IIMs were quick to flag their concerns about autonomy. In 2012-13 the IIM Bill had proposed a similar provision for a council headed by the HRD Minister to oversee the IITs. It was unacceptable to the IIMs. Since then the 13 IIMs have been fiercely guarding their independence. The rage of the IIM executives and alumni over the Bill stems from the fact that the government has made no case for its intensive proposal. Without the government's head-masterly supervision, the IIMs have done well for themselves, maintaining standards and making some positive contribution.  

It can only be a matter of regret that the government has sought to divide the IIMs in order to control them. It is a very unhealthy precedent. The upcoming IIMs, as against the established ones at Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Kolkata and Bangalore, support the contentious sections of the Bill. They are dependent on the government for financial support while the established ones are self-sufficient. It is ironical the government that follows the maxim of "minimum government, maximum governance" had put the provisions that would centralise power in the HRD Ministry for better control. Good sense, it seems, has prevailed. Rather than control and micro-manage these institutions of excellence, the HRD Minister should devote her considerable energy towards improving the standards of education.