IIM-A opposes bringing IIMs under umbrella body

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has come out in open to oppose the proposed legislation to bring IIMs under one umbrella body, saying it would curtail its autonomy.

IIM-A Governing Council chairman A M Naik said that proposed legislation to bring IIMs under an umbrella body, would slow down institute’s effort to take it to the next level of globalisation.

The proposed legislation seeks to confer the IIMs the status of institutes of national importance empowering them to award degrees instead of diplomas and establishment of an IIM Council similar to the Council for the IITs and pave way for appointment of more government directors in IIMs boards.

The premier B-school has started the fight for its autonomy to preserve the status that it has created for itself, when there have been attempts by successive governments to bring it under governmental control.

“We demand options for institutes...to all IIMs whether to come under the government umbrella and give a degree...or those who want to remain autonomous as they are and shall not give degrees and continue with what they are giving today (diploma),” Naik, who is also the Managing Director of Larsen and Toubro, told PTI.

“We have said we can do without a degree because IIM-A brand itself is huge...even with its diploma which is rated to be amongst the best in the world,” he said, adding that we are trying to more and more internationalise IIM-A, which is the only IIM appearing in the global list of first 25.

“I want to have a global board...four members from all around the world...I have brought already Prof Srikant Datar from Havard University on board...I want to bring more,” he said.

“With majority of government directors on the board there is hardly any room left for international directors to come. Finally what is left is space for two more directors,” Naik said.

“I am also trying to bring in international faculty. In middle of all this...to bring more controls and bring it into overall government umbrella will slow down that process,” he said, adding that people come and join when they see a freedom and autonomy.

A few new IIMs have agreed to the proposed legislation as they are taking government funding while IIM-A is not dependent on funding from the state, sources said.

“New IIMs need to come up with degrees to create their brand, but with IIM-A the brand is already very high and there are hundred and hundreds of CEOs around the world from here,” Naik said.

Meanwhile, even the IIM-A faculty has opposed the legislation, saying it would tinker with the institutes “autonomy”, which is essential to take it to the next level of international benchmarking.

In a draft submitted to the IIM-A director Dr Samir Barua, the faculty, while giving its feedback on a note circulated on the move, has expressed its reservations, opposing the move tooth and nail, the institute sources said.

The director has sent the draft stating faculties’ reservations to the five-member committee headed by former SEBI chairman M Damodaran, vetting the bill draft, they said.

The IIM draft bill is being vetted on the lines of the Bill which paved way for framing of IIT Act of 1961. The draft bill is being prepared by a five-member committee set up by the Union HRD Ministry and headed by the former SEBI Chairman.

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