Centre plans to introduce quota for faculty at IIMs

Ahmedabad: Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has proposed to introduce reservation in teaching positions at Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and will hold talks with the chiefs of these premier B-schools in this regard.

As part of the proposal to introduce quotas in faculty posts at IIMs, chairmen and directors of IIMs will meet at IIM Shillong on September 20 to discuss the matter, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Friday.

Javadekar said he is also reviewing the existing reservation system for faculty posts in other premier educational institutes like IITs and NITs.

"I recently held meetings of Councils of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) in Delhi to discuss this issue," he said.

"I also plan to hold such meetings with National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and central universities. I am conducting a review of all institutes and existing system (for faculty reservation), and government rules pertaining to reservation and related provisions under Constitution."

Javadekar earlier visited IIM in Ahmedabad to interact with faculty members and students.

Currently, there is no reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in teaching jobs at IIMs, all set up by the government. All IIMs are registered societies governed by their respective Board of Governors.

He said, a Bill, which aims to provide IIMs more autonomy in their governance and allow them to offer degree courses, is currently at "proposal" stage.

"The IIM Bill will provide more autonomy to the IIMs, and allow them to offer degree courses, which they cannot do now because of their status as a society. We will amend existing laws like we did for IITs and NITs to allow them to offer degree courses," he said.

"The new Bill is at proposal stage. It will be taken up by different ministries which will offer their recommendations. It will then go to the Cabinet, and then to Parliament," the Minister said.

"What our government intends is to allow more autonomy to the IIMs and other higher educational institutes so that they grow on the basis of their quality," he said.

Javadekar said the Modi government is working in the direction of "improving the quality of education.

"Our aim is to promote education and make it accessible to all. From KG to PG, 27 crore students are taking education. Our aim is to improve the quality of education."

The government is in dialogue with stakeholders to frame an "effective (education) policy", he said.