Bill passed to empower President with mgmt accountability of IIMs

The Lok Sabha passed a Bill proposing that the management accountability of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM)s should be with the President, who will now be a Visitor. This means the President of India will now have the power to audit the functioning of IIMs, order probes and appoint as well as remove directors. The President is already a Visitor at IITs and NITs.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in the Lower House, said that the aim of the Bill (which seeks to amend the IIM Act of 2017) is not to take away the academic accountability from the institute, but is instead to ensure its management accountability as the Centre has spent over Rs 6,000 crore in setting up the IIMs.

Under the existing dispensation, the President is also a Visitor at IITs and NITs, but no questions are being raised on the academic autonomy of these institutes, Pradhan said.

Story continues below this ad

“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,” it stated.

This is the second time the Union government has tried to bring this change in the 20 premier business-schools.