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Journalism of Courage
As he sits in his office with the air of an Oscar wnner awaiting congratulations, Fiinance Minister Jaswant Singh knows that thank-you speeches are mandatory. He knows that the 10.4 per cent third quarter growth would not have been possible without the IITs, the IIMs and the attendant brain power that has put India on the world map. No wonder then, that while his colleagues have maintained a studied silence on the IIM fees controversy, the Finance Minister yesterday became among the first senior ministers to indicate that the issue could be thrashed out after the elections and that the autonomy of the institutions would not be compromised. Speaking toThe Indan Express, Singh said: ‘‘I’m not apprehensive about any imminent danger of damage to the autonomy of these institutes nor their finances over the next two months. If there is a need to sit together and consult, surely we will do that after elections.’’
The strong third quarter growth had silenced the government’s critics, and the beaming Finance Minister, who has seen elections from the 4th Lok Sabha through the 14th, said: “For the first time after 1957 the plank for elections is economic growth, development and peace.’’
Singh said that his party and the governement recognised the fact that institutes like IIM had played a crucial role in creating top technical talent and were committed to maintaining them as centres of excellence. So why didd his colleague, Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, appear so bent on compromising the autonomy of the IIMs wth his insistence of fee cuts? Said Singh: ‘‘I have not had a chance to discuss the IIM issue with Mr Joshi. He is in his constituency. Neither he nor the governemnt is ambivalent on the question of autonomy of such institutions. As to why the Human Resources Development (HRD) minister has taken one step after the other, it is much better that I do not answer these questions unless I have the benefit of consultation with my colleague.’’
He said that Cabinet colleagues did not usually meddle with the functioning of each other’s ministries. “The IIM issue is comeone else’s responsibility. As the Finance Minister I can say that at the moment I am not apprehensive of any immediate damaging consequences.’
