Education, Careers & Professional News
Governance models for IIMs & IITs
The HRD minister must be congratulated — and thanked — for wholeheartedly accepting the propositions that educational institutions should be governed by their governing boards; and that there is nothing wrong with a plan that delivers self-sufficiency with social justice. We look forward to this being the direction in which he will encourage all educational “navaratnas” to move.
The purpose of this article is to provide facts and perspectives in order to frame the debate on governance of IIMs and IITs and the role of MHRD. It would be a waste of this space to further stir up the already muddied waters of the fee increase issue.
Suffice it to say that social justice is not served by subsidising people who have an average starting salary of around Rs 17 lakh and access to pre-approved loans with banks who deem them creditworthy based on where they are going, and irrespective of what their parental income is. In fact, such subsidy is a social injustice to the urban poor, who, data shows, are walking out of government schools into costlier private schools.
For the record, beyond loans, the IIMA financial aid scheme has graded tuition waivers linked to parental income, and concessions for those who wish to join NGOs, government, institutions of public good, etc., which pay much lower. Further, if there is a concern that such a high fee number would discourage children from the weaker sections of society from even thinking of such institutions, then the solution is not to subsidise fees but to say loudly and publicly through every communication channel available that no one who qualifies will ever be turned down for lack of funds, and that repayment of loans is easy and systematic given earning potential.
If MHRD wants to subsidise something in the name of social justice, they should pay for a continuing ad campaign on television saying this on behalf of all IITs and IIMs; and announce at least 1,000 merit-cum-means scholarships each for IIM and IIT potentials for education from class IX onwards, which will cover all expenses including coaching classes, to enable them to get into these institutions and be role models for others. At the minister’s behest, this can be put into place in the next one month, and we look forward to it.
Now let us move to governance. IIMA has a very visionary governance structure, and is an early example of a sophisticated public-private partnership in education. It is, in theory, supposed to be governed by a Memorandum of Association (MoA) between IIMA Society (a not for profit entity), the central government (CG) and the state government of Gujarat (SG). The MoA clearly lays out board seats’ composition and process for filling them and the powers each party has in running the institute. Just FYI, fee setting is listed in the MoA as within the powers of the society and hence the board (through which alone MHRD can influence). Equally, the MoA states that “all posts are in the cadre and scales of pay as approved by CG from time to time” and that the director’s appointment shall be made on “such terms and conditions” as may be decided by the CG in consultation with the SG.
More : economictimes.indiatimes.com
Wants to get the sample questions with answers for the recruitment of Junior Technician as per the central
Comment by Gour Mahapatra