The Union HRD, Communications and IT Minister, Mr Kapil Sibal, today said that leading educational institutions like IIMs and other like-minded institutions should start giving management solutions to complex problems facing the country.

Speaking to presspersons at the 36th annual convocation of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, he said that the pressure is now on educational institutions to participate in the transformation that is taking place in society.

“Education institutions such as these (IIMs) should become multi-disciplinary and not function as standalone institutions. They should become technology institutions, should interact with the Government, the private and the agricultural sectors and the SMEs,” the Minister said.

He also called for a change in the way the boards of the IIMs are currently structured.

“Instead of a large 25-member board, IIMs can have more cohesive boards where all the members are active.” The director and the chairman of the Institute should be chosen by the board, instead of being appointed by the Government, he said.

No privatisation

Terming privatisation a dirty word, the Minister also said that the UPA Government does not believe in ‘privatising' education, although private participation is being allowed.

“Private participation is different from privatisation and should be for a societal purpose,” he said, adding that the ownership of the institutions should be with all stakeholders, including civil society, faculty, leaders, students and the Government.

Citing the latest census figures that says India has achieved 74 per cent literacy, up from 64.5 per cent a decade ago, he said that the country was at the cusp of a change and would achieve full literacy in 10 years.

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