Before IIM-Raipur Director quit, Education Ministry sided with Board in standoff, asked him to follow its decisions

The Indian Express first reported, on October 8, that Kakani quit on July 21, two years before the end of his tenure, over differences with the Chairperson of the Board of Governors.

On June 13, Kakani had written to the Ministry, alleging that the Chairperson had “consistently and increasingly taken over executive functions that statutorily rest with the Director”.

His differences with the Board stemmed from disciplinary action he had initiated against a faculty member over alleged academic impropriety — proceedings that the Chhattisgarh High Court quashed, holding that the Board, not the Director, was the appointing authority under the IIM Act.

Kakani had maintained that the faculty member was appointed in 2013, and as per the institute’s HR policy at the time, the Director was the appointing and disciplinary authority.

In its clarification, the Ministry told Kakani that the institute’s 2015 HR policy, under which the Director is listed as the appointing and disciplinary authority, predates the IIM Act, and is therefore “not in line” with the law.

The Ministry pointed out that under IIM Raipur’s 2021 regulations framed in accordance with the Act, the Board chairperson approves faculty appointments, and directed that the outdated HR policy be “rectified at the earliest”.

In terms of the IIM Act, the Director is bound to follow and implement the decision of the Board, the Ministry told Kakani, adding that he needs to ensure that the inconsistencies in the HR Policy 2015 “are removed at the earliest”.

Separately, the IIM Raipur Board wrote to the Higher Education Secretary on July 4, responding to Kakani’s representations to the Ministry. The letter, signed by nine members including Chairperson Puneet Dalmia, said “the Institute is not implementing the decisions taken by the Board under the Director’s instructions, and the Board finds it impossible to discharge the role envisaged for it under the IIM Act, 2017”.

The Board sought the Ministry’s advice on ensuring “effective supervision and control” of the institute’s functioning, alleging that the Director had acted unilaterally despite the court’s ruling.

It said that while the Human Resources Committee and the Board Chairperson had permitted action against the faculty member subject to rules, the Director had suspended the faculty member and filed an appeal against the court’s order without the Board’s approval.

“As the Director was refusing to have any discussion on the High Court rulings in a Board meeting, the Board was forced to pass a circular resolution dissociating itself from the Director’s arbitrary and unilateral actions,” the Board’s letter said.

The Education Ministry did not respond to requests from The Indian Express for comment. Kakani said he did not wish to comment. Dalmia, who is the MD and CEO of Dalmia Bharat Group, did not respond to an emailed questionnaire from The Indian Express seeking his response.

Kakani, a well-known academic, was the third IIM Director, after two IIM Calcutta heads, to have resigned in the past four years over differences with the Chairperson of the Board of Governors.

From the homepage

‘Regime change’ conspiracy behind 2020 riots, Delhi Police tell SC; oppose bail to accused

RJD’s challenge in Siwan: Shahabuddin is dead. Long live Shahabuddin

‘I had money, I paid. What will poor do?’: Retired BPCL CFO’s post on bribery ordeal after daughter’s death goes viral; 2 Bengaluru cops suspended