The Hindu Business Line : AIMA for tighter norms in biz schools

Raha speak
Very few of the over 1,430 institutes offering MBA are qualified to offer them.
Some distance-mode programmes also below industry standards.
Replace government control over management education with independent, academic body.

Mr Subir Raha

G. Naga Sridhar

Hyderabad, July 9 There is a need for more stringent norms to curb the mushrooming of private management institutes that lack basic infrastructure, according to Mr Subir Raha, President of All India Management Association (AIMA).

“Out of over 1,430 institutes which are offering MBA in different names very few have the basic qualifications to offer management education. We feel that there is a racket in the country now,” Mr Raha told Business Line here.

As an apex non-government body for management-related matters, AIMA will also offer its own rating to the management institutions in the country in addition to the statutory approval by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

“About 85 per cent of the institutes in the country do not have basic facilities,” Mr Raha said.
Quality concerns

Some programmes being offered in the distance mode were also below industry standards, he said, adding: “The practice of collaboration with not-so-worthy foreign universities for MBA programmes is also dangerous for the students and industry.”

On the debate of whether a management programme would fall under the ambit of technical education to be approved by AICTE, Mr Raha said there was nothing wrong in AICTE’s jurisdiction over management education.

“The issue here is the quality of instruction and infrastructure which will be the same for any discipline. In this light, AICTE can function as a regulator for management as well,” he felt.

However, he opined that there could be a little flexibility in some norms set by the Council such as the number of faculty or the number of classrooms.
Control issues

On the necessary measures for improving the scenario, Mr Raha said the entire approach to control should be changed. “The control by the Government over management education should be substituted by an independent, academic body,” he added. Further, education should also be opened up. “Things like allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) may be of help. If any reputed business school like Kellogg’s wants to set up its own campus here, it should be allowed and procedures should be simplified,” Mr Raha said.

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