After IIM Bill, HRD Minister Javadekar Says Govt Should Stay Out of Big Institutes

New Delhi: Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar stressed that the “best of best institutes” should be granted autonomy if the nation has to progress, and that one has to rein in the urge to control in what one funds.

“Sometimes the government also needs to learn to fund and don’t control. The philosophy otherwise is if you are funding something you need to control it. It is not a correct policy. The best of best institutes need to be given autonomy. That depends on their quality and performance. There is enough accountability,” he told reporters after the Union cabinet gave its okay to the new IIM Bill.

The new Bill grants the prestige Indian Institutes of Management full autonomy, under which the IIMs would be declared institutions of national importance. Depending upon the guidelines of the Central government and laws of countries abroad prevalent the IIMs will have the autonomy to expand as well. Accountability measures for of the IIMs include CAG audit and presentation of Annual Reports in the Parliament.

As per provisions of the IIM Bill 2017, the HRD minister will relinquish his role from the IIM Council, which is involved in administration and overall strategy. In the last IIM Council meeting Javadekar told the members about the change, he said, “I was hearing the Council of IIMs in Guwahati when they had their meeting and told the members that the new bill will not have me as the Chairman of the Council but somebody from you is going to take the position. My presence will only be on invitation, there will be no way I will impose myself.”

The management of these institutions would be Board driven, with the Chairperson and Director of an Institution selected by the Board. There will be greater participation of experts and alumni in the Board. When asked if the Bill has something on the reservation in IIM faculty, the minister said, “The law of the land applies here.”

Hopeful that the Indian Institute of Management Bill 2017 will be passed in the Parliament, he said. “We will introduce the IIM Bill 2017, and if the House decides they can straightaway discuss it or if it goes through the rigor of Standing Committee still I am sure this will be passed soon. There are two parts of this Budget Session, the first part I hope there are introductions of Budget of HRD and also of such Bills. There is latter part of the Budget Session which will give us ample opportunity to discuss the Bill,” he said.