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Journalism of Courage
PRINCIPAL SECRETARY to the Prime Minister, Nripendra Misra, held a meeting with Higher Education Secretary V S Oberoi on Monday to resolve differences over the IIM Bill and draft regulations for setting up world-class universities. The meeting was held within a week of Prakash Javadekar being appointed the new HRD Minister.
Sources said the PMO and the HRD Ministry have arrived at a consensus on most issues and that the IIM Bill is expected to go to the Cabinet for approval soon. Earlier, the two ministries were locked in a tussle over the autonomy to be granted to the IIMs and the proposed world-class institutions. This meeting between Misra and Oberoi was first scheduled on July 2, just three days before Irani was transferred to the Textiles Ministry. It was cancelled at the last minute.
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The Indian Express had first reported on March 11 on the differences between the HRD Ministry and PMO over the IIM Bill. The PMO had recommended more than five changes to the draft law — which aims to empower the premier B-schools to award degrees instead of diplomas — to dilute the scope of government control over the institutes. The HRD Ministry did not adopt two.
The ministry is learnt to have retained the provision which makes the HRD Minister the head of the IIM Coordinating Forum. The PMO was not in favour of this. The HRD Ministry was also not willing to dilute the clause that empowers the President to review the work of any IIM in his capacity as the Visitor of the premier B-Schools. The PMO then virtually blocked Cabinet approval for the Bill and the matter was escalated to Mishra.
