IIM Calcutta faculty rejects proposal to restructure IIMs

IIM Calcutta faculty rejects proposal to restructure IIMs


The faculty of IIM-C has expressed their angst on 'IIM Governance' and 'Faculty & Research at the IIMs' reports that were submitted to the HRD Ministry
On March 31, 2011, Mr. Kapil Sibal speaking at IIM-B had clarified that the reforms were not aimed at privatization.

The faculty of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C) has expressed their angst on ‘IIM Governance’ and ‘Faculty and Research at the IIMs’ reports that were submitted to the HRD Ministry in October 2010.
The IIM-C faculty have gone public with their thoughts on the reports submitted by HRD ministry panel under Maruti Chairman RC Bhargava. The ‘Position Paper’ prepared by the IIM-C faculty has been published on the IIM-C official site: http://www.iimcal.ac.in/IIMC-Restructuring-Position-Paper.pdf
“Not convinced by government assurances, the IIM faculty decided to take their concerns on the series of proposed reforms to the public,” said a faculty member who did not wish to be named.
There are concerns that the reforms would effectively lead to the privatisation of the IIMs. On March 31, 2011, Mr. Kapil Sibal speaking at IIM-B had clarified that the reforms were not aimed at privatization.
The faculty have totally rejected the proposals that are part of the two reports. The faculty have been irked especially by the following proposals that: Allow firms, individuals to pay donations and earn seats on IIM managing societies; Stipulates each faculty member teaches a minimum of 160 hrs.
An HRD ministry panel under Maruti Chairman RC Bhargava has recommended that industrial houses gain seats in the managing society of an IIM for five years in exchange for a donation of Rs20 crore. Individuals and alumni can also gain seats on the societies for donations worth Rs5 crore under the panel proposals.
But faculty are arguing that the Bhargava panel’s recommendation may place the reins of the IIMs in the hands of the private donors. “The proposed process of enlightened ownership would destroy the reputation built by IIMs over the last fifty years,” the faculty document argues.
The faculty claims that in the backdrop of the recommendations, the Bhargava Committee shows a clear bias for a unicameral system of governance that empowers the board and the director to control the institute.
The faculty have also been irked as MHRD, Bhargava and Balakrishnan committees made no attempt to include the IIM faculty in their deliberations.
The Position Paper by the IIM-C faculty summarises its concerns in the following manner:

“We are concerned that the current set of proposals is impelled by a faulty logic of control and endangers our academic freedom that has been carefully created through years of practice. Instead, we urge the government to be driven by processes that create and foster scholarship. There is enough learning to emerge from our past experiences and from practices in institutions of academic excellence across the world. With a more democratic, inclusive, and dialogical approach on current and future challenges, we can together move forward to truly make IIMs world class institutions.”

The teachers have in their ‘position paper’ also proposed alternative reforms. The IIM Calcutta faculty protest will heat up the battle over the future roadmap for the IIMs.