Uniform law for IIMs on cards

NEW DELHI: Without curtailing their autonomy, the government is planning to bring the Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs) under an umbrella legislation like the Institutes of Technology Act.

While constituting a review committee to look into the matter, the human resource development (HRD) ministry has clarified that the legislation would in no way specify the financial and administrative autonomy of the IIMs and bringing the IIMs under the ambit of a central law will in no way alter their accountability to Parliament or their status of being public institutions.

But the IIMs are not taking the move very sportingly. “This is not going to help but hurt the IIMs,” said Prakash Apte, director, IIM-Bangalore. Apte fears that it is a way to increase bureaucratic interference in the functioning of B-schools. “The Bill will adversely affect the administrative, financial and academic functioning of the IIMs,” he said

However, the HRD officials clarified saying, “It will empower the IIMs to award degrees which they are not competent to do so at present.” This would mean that the IIMs, which as of now gave diploma certificates, will be free to give degree certificates for its various courses.