The lok Sabha on Friday passed the Bill to provide greater autonomy to the 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), reducing the Government control considerably. The Bill - The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017 - as also HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar received much appreciation from all parties.
“After the bill is passed, there will be no Government role in the appointment of Board of Directors in IIMs. let the government come out of it. It will be for the betterment of our higher institutions,” Javadekar said while summing up the discussion in the house, thanking all parties for supporting the bill.
The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017, provides for giving statutory powers to these institutions in their running including appointment of directors, faculty members, and gives them powers to award degrees instead of post graduate diplomas. The bill also has provisions for appointment of members of the board of governors (BoG) in each of the 20 IIMs through a transparent process, while limiting even the HRD Minister’s role, said Javadekar, clarifying to MPs.
The bill also seeks to declare the IIMs as institutes of national importance and abolish the post of visitor. Currently, the President is the ‘visitor’ of the IIMs. Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Javadekar said the aim of the bill is to remove the government’s interference in IIMs. He said the proposed legislation will usher in a new era of freedom in the IIMs and these institutes will not require to come to the government for various permissions and clearances.”It is a historical bill which will bring a new era in management education in the country,” he said, noting that financial transaction will be subject to CAG evaluation as the institutes run on tax payers’ money.He said it was not an ideal situation to run the IIMs from Delh.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said it was a “remarkable moment when a minister surrenders (his) powers”. At the same time, the former minister criticised the Government for not enhancing financial assistance to IITs and IIMs, saying they are reeling under funds crunch.
He suggested the government should have some say in determining fee structure in the IIMs as higher fees may badly hit students from the poor families. He also pitched for clarity in having reservation in recruitment of faculty staff from SC and ST community.
Trinamool Congress leader Sougata Roy also praised the government for bringing the bill, saying it will further improve the functioning of the IIMs. M B Rajesh (CPI-M) also raised the issue of high fees in IIMs, saying the autonomous status should not lead to money- making by these institutions.
Nagendra Kumar Pradhan (BJD) said the IIMs charge fees between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 20 lakh and because of the limited number of seats these institutes have, students have to opt for private MBA institutes.