NEW DELHI: In line with the stated goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop 20 world-class institutions in the country, the government is set to grant full autonomy to Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). Union Minister for Human Resources Development (HRD) Prakash Javadekar is expected to move the Union Cabinet soon with a legislative proposal for the same. This follows the briefing NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya gave the PM, where he argued that precious time should not be wasted in waiting for reforms in the UGC and AICTE to achieve the creation of world-class educational institutions.
Javadekar had earlier moved the bill for inter-ministerial discussions. The law ministry is learnt to have favourably responded to the proposal. The government is likely to table the bill in Parliament soon.
Sources said that the HRD Minister told IIM Board of directors that soon they will never need to approach the government for approvals or permissions. “Only if you invite, will I or anyone from the government come to any of the IIMs. We will soon grant you the freedom that you should enjoy,” Javdekar is learnt to have said at the meeting.
Of the 20 institutions which have been identified for transformation into world class entities, 10 will be from the public sector. The rest will be private. The NITI Aayog had apprised Modi that autonomy for IIMs will fast track the set goals.
The discretion of the government through the power of the President as a Visitor to review the work of the IIMs will end, sources said, while adding that the Board of Governors will have full freedom to choose the directors. The government will relinquish its power in the IIMs’ coordination panels, sources said.
This comes as a marked departure from the times when Javadekar’s predecessor Smriti Irani, now the Union Minister for Handloom and Textiles had locked horns with IIMs on giving up government control over matters such as appointments of directors. She had even reportedly clashed with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) over the functioning of the IIMs.