IIM Bill proposing power to Prez triggers autonomy debate
Bill to amend the IIM Act of 2017 introduced in Lok Sabha last Friday
A new amendment bill of the Centre that proposes the President will be Visitor to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) with powers to audit their functioning, order probes and appoint as well as remove directors, has triggered an “autonomy” debate for the prestigious B-schools.
The bill to amend the IIM Act of 2017 was introduced in the Lok Sabha last Friday amid disruptions by opposition members over the Manipur violence issue.
While the Congress has alleged that PMO wants to maintain the tightest possible control and ensure “ideological purity”, the IIMs are concerned about the amendment possibly taking away their autonomy rather than just fixing accountability.
“IIMs were given greater autonomy in 2017 and the legislation had wide support in Parliament. But six years later, the Narendra Modi government is undoing what it itself had introduced. Clearly, autonomy is unwelcome for this government,” Congress General Secretary and MP Jairam Ramesh said.
“The PMO now wants to maintain the tightest possible control and ensure ideological ‘purity’ setting aside all considerations of quality, freedom of thought and flexibility of administration of programmes,” he added.
According to the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the President of India shall be Visitor of every institute.
“The Visitor may appoint one or more persons to review the work and progress of any institute, to hold enquiries into affairs thereof and to report in such manner as the Visitor may direct. The board may also recommend to the Visitor an enquiry as deemed proper against the institute which has not been functioning in accordance with provisions and objectives of the Act,” the bill stated.
The IIMs are concerned about whether the bill will dilute their autonomy in the name of fixing accountability.
“There can be other ways of fixing accountability. This will be a direct attack on the autonomy. The concept of an independent board governing the functioning of a B-school is a global model which has been successful everywhere... it can work in India too,” the director of a top IIM said on condition of anonymity.
