Govt appoints Professor Vinita Sahay as head of IIM Bodhgaya

Vinita Sahay, currently a professor at IIM Raipur is only the second women director the IIMs have ever had. Her appointment comes just a few days before the IIM Act comes into effect.

Academic block of IIM Bodh Gaya (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The government has appointed IIM Raipur’s Professor Vinita Sahay as the first director of IIM Bodhgaya in Bihar. Her selection is the HRD Ministry’s second attempt at appointing a head to the institute.

Last year, the government’s first choice for the job, Ganesan Kannabiran from NIT Trichy, had turned down the offer to head IIM Bodhgaya, forcing the ministry to refer names of the remaining two finalists back to the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister.

Sahay was among the finalists and the ACC approved her name this month. She is currently a professor at IIM Raipur specialising in marketing management. Sahay is only the second women director the IIMs have ever had. Last year, Neelu Rohmetra broke a 56-year-old glass ceiling and was appointed as director of IIM Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh.

Story continues below this ad

Sahay’s appointment comes just a few days before the IIM Act comes into effect. Apart from permitting them to grant degrees instead of diplomas, the new law also empowers the premier B-schools to appoint their own directors and chairpersons. No other centrally-funded institute has this level of autonomy.

However, till the Act comes into effect, that is from January 31, the existing rules will continue to be implemented. In other words, if the government wants it can appoint directors and chairpersons to institutes, where the posts are vacant before, January 31. At present, four IIMs — Ahmedabad, Jammu, Kozhikode, Amritsar and Kashipur — do not have full-time directors.

Ritika Chopra

Ritika Chopra, an award-winning journalist with over 17 years of experience, serves as the Chief of the National Bureau (Govt) and National Education Editor at The Indian Express in New Delhi. In her current role, she oversees the newspaper's coverage of government policies and education. Ritika closely tracks the Union Government, focusing on the politically sensitive Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry, and has authored investigative stories that have prompted government responses. Ritika joined The Indian Express in 2015. Previously, she was part of the political bureau at The Economic Times, India’s largest financial daily. Her journalism career began in Kolkata, her birthplace, with the Hindustan Times in 2006 as an intern, before moving to Delhi in 2007. Since then, she has been reporting from the capital on politics, education, social sectors, and the Election Commission of India. ... Read More

Tags:
IIM
Ministry of Human Resource and Development

The police said the trio from Chandigarh — Rohan (21), Sumit (22), and Mohit (19) — were dhol players by profession and had procured the weapons due to an old rivalry with local residents.

Suspecting affair, Odisha lecturer assaults wife and her friend, parades them on street

India1 hr ago

A lecturer of Commerce and his associate were arrested for assaulting his wife, garlanding her with slippers and parading her on the road with her male friend. The woman, who has been living separately from her husband, was assaulted and humiliated in public. The incident was recorded and shared on social media. Police have seized evidence and are investigating the matter.

View all shorts

Live Blog