[rohit_perfect]

18 Jul, 2007 l 0436 hrs ISTlAradhana Takhtani & Hemali Chhapia/TNN
For first time, govt to choose IIM directors
This could be the final blow to the long-held autonomy of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The Union HRD ministry has for the first time called for applications to the post of directors for the three oldest IIMs - Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kolkata.

The term of the three directors - Bakul Dholakia, Prakash Apte and Shekhar Chaudhuri - ends in two to three months and the HRD ministry is clearly muscling in on the appointment process which is usually the prerogative of the individual institutes.

The tenure of an IIM director is usually five years and the institutes have a four-decade-long tradition of selecting directors through search committees comprising eminent academics, Central and state government representatives and industry captains.

Applications are never called for. However, the ad released by the HRD ministry on Tuesday says applicants for the directors' posts need to contact Delhi.

The public notice in Tuesday's edition of a national newspaper says: "Curriculum vitae with detailed education and professional qualifications and experience should be sent to deputy secretary, department of higher education, HRD ministry."


Decision can deepen IIM-HRD divide
The HRD ministry's move to call for applications to the post of directors for the Indian Institute of Managements in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kolkata has taken the institute's bosses by surprise.

"I too am seeing such an appointment advertisement for an IIM director for the first time. The directors are appointed by the governing council of each institutes," said Apte, IIM-B director.

Ever since the IIMs were set up, the governing council of each institute has followed the practice of creating its own search committee to look for a director; the name of the selected candidate is eventually sent to the ministry for clearance, although the process is a mere formality.

A senior professor from IIM-A said he too was taken aback by the advertisement but was unaware of the plan. The HRD ministry's decision could deepen the divide between the IIM bosses and the government over the manner in which the premier management institutes are being run.

This academic year saw a somewhat bitter debate over the 27% Other Backward Category quota's implementation. The IIM directors had turned down the ministry's proposal to delay admissions until a Supreme Court ruling on the issue

[macora]

It is so pathetic that our politicians are resorting to such things just to get control of the institutions.
They are planning to appoint the directors so that these ppl become puppets in their hands and then govt can do watever they want in these institutions.

Its really sickening.

The focus of the govt should be promote these institutions and help in other institutions to come up to these levels. But what it is trying is to bring down level of these instis.

I hope the ministers are not trying to make IIMs as Indian Institute of Ministers..

[convolutedsignal]

The empire strikes back. God save the IIMs.

[deep_agrawal]

Be prepared for another year of uncertainty related to the IIM admissions... Coz the HRD ministry is anyways not concerned about the students plight... Rather they are more interested in the petty politics they indulge in.

This is clearly an attempt by the ministry to gain more control over the IIMs.

[Greenspan]

The last of the great bourgeois educational institutions in our nation is in peril. No sir..... not God...... only the institutions themselves can get themselves out of this. But I wonder how?

[prahalad85]

more than the IIMs i feel sorry for students applying this year.We faced a lot of uncertainities due to the GDPI process and during result declaration and our only hope was that such a situation does not arise again.But with the CAT notifications out nothing seems to have been cleared and the same fiasco prevails.And to add insult to injury we have this news!
dont know what all this will lead to

[RISING]

As if the last year's fiasco was not enough for the HRD ministry..and now they have come up with one more topic of debate...i guess the ministry cherish a sadistic pleasure out of all this...not very sure about the affect and the controversy following this desicion but i think HRD ministry is running out of funds and now they have their eyes on the IIM funds...

[rupStar]

Lately,the overindulgence of Indian politicias in every sphere of developement has been criticised and yet again the story is repeated. Whether it is sports(Our honorable agriculture minister will be the ICC chief during the next World Cup) or Education these parasites are omnipresent.
It has been said that "History is the foundation upon which we build our present and aspire to create our future and those who ignore it are condemned to repeat the mistakes".And we are doing xactly the same ignoring the fact that political interfernce has done no good so far.
It really haunts me that when these so called deamagouge will undestand that certain things are of national interest and very indespensible for future to be in correct path.May God help them take right decisions and therby help we ppl.Amen