Pitches for more girl students at 32nd convocation.
For a rural management institute working to uplift lives of the underpriviliged, absence of norms of reservation for scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) is an irony. Or it seemed so to Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh, who was the chief guest at Saturday’s convocation of the Institute of Rural Management (Irma), Anand.
As he began the convocation address, Jairam asked Irma chairman Deep Joshi to enforce reservation system for SC and ST from the 2014-15 admission process. He pointed out that the institute had only 30% female students, whereas in other national institutes, the average intake of girls was close to 50%. He also stressed on bringing in regional diversity among students.
“I don’t think you can run Irma with Rs25 crore grant without introducing reservation for SC and ST. You must have affirmative action in place. You cannot claim to be a national institute of rural management when dalits and adivasis are not part of affirmative action in your admission. There is a disconnect here,” the minister said.
During 34 years of existence, this was the first such direction to the institute. Behind such authoritative direction from the minister was the Union government’s grant of Rs 25 crore to the institute, using which the institute started four centres of excellence.
“So far you were protected as you did not take money from the government. Now that you have made the mistake of taking money from the central government, please ensure that the Rs25 crore grant is accompanied by introduction of reservation for SC, ST,” said Jairam, who shared the dais with chairman Joshi and director Dr Jeemol Unni.
Founding chairman of the institute, Dr Verghese Kurien, who was fondly remembered by the chairman and the chief guest in their speeches, insisted on not taking financial aid from the state or central government, to avoid political interference in the institute’s functioning.
If Irma implements 27% reservation system like all other central government-funded institutes like IIMs, there may be transition problems but it will overcome it, Jairam said. “You will generate professional belonging to disadvantaged people which you claim you are going to serve as part of (institute’s) mandate,” the minister quipped.
In his address, the minister said that four positive aspects - consumption habit change, connectivity change, revolution in representation and revolution in participation - have brought a change in rural India.
On the occasion, 105 students were awarded certificates. While 103 students completed the Post Graduate Programme in Rural Management, two were part of the Fellow Programme in Rural Management.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}