Don’t subvert IIM’s autonomy, cautions Singhania

By IANS

Ahmedabad : For achieving excellence it is necessary to nurture innovation, openness, creativity and research and institutes like the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) have to stand on their own feet and not financially be supported indefinitely by the government, said Vijaypat Singhania, chairman of the Board of Governors of IIM-Ahmedabad.


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In his welcome address at the 43rd annual convocation here Saturday, Singhania said a high performer institute like the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay had to seek funds recently from government even for paying its salaries.

“This is a shameful state of affairs and I do not want the IIMs to undergo such a situation,” Singhania said.

“It is not necessary to coerce the IIMs to eat into their reserve for survival or depend perpetually on public donations, or ask government’s financial support for their survival and growth. I am confident that with the reputation that IIM-A has acquired, it is capable of and should be encouraged to stand on its own feet financially,” he said.

“I am not supporting profiteering by institutes of learning, but creating enough surplus for their growth is absolutely necessary. This need not be a political decision. I appeal to (Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission) Montek Singh Ahluwalia to use his good offices in giving greater financial and administrative autonomy to such institutes that are creating the leaders of tomorrow,” Singhania said.

“I see no reason why the (human resources development) ministry should try to run the institute by proxy, rather than letting the collective wisdom of the Board to do it. I am sure wiser counsel shall prevail sooner rather than later, and make these institutions feel proud of the quality of the students,” he added.

He had a final word of advice for the graduating students: “Never hesitate to take decisions. Remember good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from poor judgment.”

The board of meeting of IIM-A earlier in the day has decided to hike the fees of its two-year post-graduate course in business management from Rs.450,000 to Rs.1.15 million from the next academic session this year.

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