IIMs can top up professors’ salaries

The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) can physically go global now, and the premier management institutes’ teachers can get salaries as per international standards. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has not only allowed them to set up campuses anywhere in the country and abroad after they amend their Memoranda of Association, but also given them the freedom to top up salaries from their own resources.

However, it could result in disparity in salaries across IIMs since only three institutes, Ahmedabad, Calcutta and Bangalore, have not been taking government funds except for expansion to accommodate 27% OBC (other backward classes) reservation.

An IIM functionary argued that top-up salaries should be based on tangible factors so that personal discretion of directors does not creep in. Of the 15 IIMs, 10 are operational now, and are fully dependent on the government for financial assistance.

In a slew of decisions that will further strengthen autonomy, IIMs have also been allowed to have a predominant role in the selection of directors, create posts within approved norms, acquire and dispose of property if it not funded by the MHRD, approve their own budgets and also manage the funds generated by them on their own.

In a meeting with chairpersons and directors of IIMs on Wednesday, HRD minister Kapil Sibal, while listing out various initiatives taken by the ministry, stressed that autonomy and accountability should go hand in hand. As for the appointment of directors, it was decided in principle that they will now be appointed through a process in which the board of governors of the IIMs will suggest three names to the government from which the one will be chosen. Currently, the ministry issues advertisements for the appointment of directors.

The meeting considered the reports of three committees set up in April on certain key issues. Discussions were held on the report of the panel constituted to recommend a new governance structure for IIMs.

Source: The Economic Times, October 14, 2010

IIMs given freedom to set up centres in India, abroad

The Centre has decided to unshackle Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) by giving them freedom to set up centres within the country and abroad. This is one of the slew of decisions announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to give greater autonomy to the business schools.

At the same time, HRD minister Kapil Sibal stressed that greater autonomy must be accompanied by commensurate accountability. Decisions operationalising autonomy and accountability were announced by Mr Sibal at a meeting with the chairpersons and directors of IIMs on Wednesday.

The IIM autonomy package includes giving the board of governors full powers to create posts in keeping with approved norms, the right to amend rules of IIM within the framework of memorandum of association and rules, the power to acquire and dispose property, which has not been fully or partially funded by the ministry, powers to approve their own budget, and the freedom to manage the funds generated by IIMs.

In return, greater accountability has been demanded of IIMs. It was agreed that the faculty, the director and the board of governors should take steps to prepare annual action plans and key performance indicators at each level. Greater accountability would require greater transparency from IIMs.

In keeping with the reform agenda, the meeting considered reports of committees set up at the meeting in April in Bangalore. Three committees had been set up, committee on new governance structure for IIMs chaired by R C Bhargava, Chairman IIM, Ranchi; committee on faculty and research at IIMs chaired by Ajit Balakrishnan, Chairman, IIM, Calcutta; and committee on fund raising by IIMs chaired by Hari S Bhartia, Chairman of IIM, Raipur.

As suggested by the Bhargava Committee, it was agreed that the number of board members be reduced to 14 from 26. The board of governors would now be required to have adequate membership of the IIM Society, government, faculty and alumni.

To ensure better governance, it was decided that IIM societies should have long term members who take continuous interest in the running of IIMs. A monetary pre requisite for membership of the society, about Rs. 20 crore (Rs. 200 million), was suggested. Mr. Sibal turned down the suggestion on the grounds it would restrict membership to the moneyed and created vested interests.

The norms for membership will have to be worked out. As part of the greater autonomy, the boards will now be given the power to select the institute’s director. The board of governors will suggest three names and the Centre will appoint one of them as director. It marks a return to the older practice, discontinued during the NDA rule.

Source: The Economic Times, October 14, 2010

RV College, Bangalore inks pact with University of Western Australia

Bangalore-based RV College of Engineering has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Western Australia (UWA) for cooperation in teaching and research. The tie-up will enable the college to send students as well as faculty to the premier Australian university for pursuing their research.

On the occasion of the signing ceremony, Prof. Robyn Owens, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the university said, “India presents a wonderful opportunity for research collaborations with UWA, since we share a unique set of common and complementary interests.” According to the academician, the tie-up will help both the institutes to devise solutions for common problems with regards to agriculture, environment, biodiversity, nanotechnology and health.

The MoU will help in exchange staff, joint research activities, joint conferences and exchange of academic materials as well as exchange of students.

B.S. Satyanarayana, Principal of RV College of Engineering noted that MoU will help students who are interested in research. “We look forward to this relationship as many of our areas of interest in terms of sustainable development and renewable energy activities match with the advanced R&D activities,” said the principal.

The institutes might also give dual degrees in the long run, where a student can pursue one year at RVCE and another year in Australia. However, it does not have plans to set up offshore campuses in the city or country. The university has tied up with premier institutes like IIT Kharagpur to enhance the relationships between the universities.

Source: Deccan Herald, October 14, 2010

IITians to stamp their brand on varsities

In a first effort of its kind, alumni from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), who are heads and professors in 40 technical institutes, including Thapar University and PEC University of Technology, will meet on Thursday to decide measures to strengthen the technical higher education system in the region.

“As educators who are products of IITs, we want to see how certain things that constitute brand IIT, can be inducted into our curriculum,” explained Rajneesh Arora, a graduate of IIT-Delhi and Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Technical University.

They will devise a plan to improve the education system as well as infrastructure and teaching skills. “The quality of technical teachers in Punjab is lower than those in the IITs. Many don’t have the kind of knowledge required to teach a subject, nor are there requisite laboratories for students,” said Ravinder K. Sehgal, HOD of Computer Science in Jasdev Singh Sandhu Institute of Engineering and Technology. “Unlike IITs, the smaller technical universities in Punjab lack an industry-institute linkage. This system needs to be created to give our students work experience in the industry,” said Kuldip Singh Sayan, Principal of Continental Institute of Engineering and Technology. “We need to make sure that technical courses are taught in the local language to make it easier for students,” said Arora.

Source: The Times of India, October 14, 2010