Government rejects IIM-B proposals

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has refused to consider the key amendments to its fundamental statute book that had been proposed by the Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore (IIM-B).

The amendments had been aimed at loosening the control by the government over the premier management institute.The seven proposed amendments to the memorandum of agreement (MoA) that had been signed between the HRD ministry and IIM-B have been called unacceptable by the ministry as the IIMs are public institutions.

The rejection by the ministry to the amendments may come as a let down for other IIMs in the country as they too were seeking amendments to their MoAs with the ministry.

The government has expressed its reservations against some of the amendments that have been proposed as they could change the "fundamental character" of the Indian Institutes of Management.The points that have been struck down by the HRD ministry include ending the government's power to take over the assets and administration of the institute if it is dissatisfied with its functioning and making it mandatory for the government to seek approval from the Board for investigating irregularities.

The ministry has also rejected a proposal that would end the role of the government in deciding the fate of property and assets that have been purchased with government money as well as another that sought to end the responsibility of the IIM in improving the management
education in the south.