IIMs' straight-talking knight errant

Backstage

For the past year, he's been IIM-A's director, chronically media-shy and low profile. Last week, though, he was, to use a pun, CATapulted into the public eye when it was discovered that the paper for the Common Admission Test (CAT), the challenging entrance examination to certified business schools, had been leaked.

The CAT exam is administered by the IIMs and this year, it was IIM-A's responsibility to finalise the format before it was sent to the printing press in Mumbai.

Since the Sunday the controversy broke, Bakul Dholakia has emerged as the official spokesman for the directors of the six IIMs on finding a solution to the CAT mess.

It would be an understatement to say the past week has been busy for Dholakia. He's been dividing his time between answering questions from Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths, parrying HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi's renewed efforts to impinge on IIM autonomy, and answer incessant questions from reporters.

In a sense, the CAT controversy could not have been worse timed because it comes on the heels of Joshi's efforts of the past few months to get the IIMs to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would give the government greater say in the financing and administration of the IIMs.

The test paper leak has provided a handle for the minister to suggest that CAT be taken out of the IIMs' purview. But the effort of staving off the HRD ministry's unwelcome attentions has left its mark on Dholakia. "He has changed a lot in the last few months and this is a very positive and healthy change both for him and all the IIMs," commented a senior faculty member of one of the IIMs.

Dholakia partially agrees. "The reason I have been stressing on retaining CAT with the IIMs is not to make money for the institutes but to safeguard the quality of the students coming to seek admission in these premier institutes. I have no fight with the ministry but I am fighting to provide a better future to the country's students and the corporate world which will ultimately benefit from the quality of students passing out from the IIMs."

He pauses for breath, and continues: "You may write that we have a fight with the ministry but not only is that untrue but I am not interested in fighting with anyone either."

Dholakia is also keen to refute reports that there is a rift among the IIMs over institutional autonomy. He has, however, been busy behind the scenes trying to convince his counterparts, especially in the three younger institutes "" IIM-Kozikode, IIM-Lucknow and IIM-Indore "" to join the team of top three IIMs and not sign the MoU with the HRD ministry (they have, however).

Like most soft-spoken people, Dholakia can be vocal and almost abrasive when angered. At a recent meeting in which Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) G N Bajpai was present, Dholakia, also an active member of the ailing Ahmedabad Stock Exchange, warned Bajpai not to close the regional bourses. Those present say he argued pithily, in contrast to the smooth tone of Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The next day, Dholakia's comments made headlines in the local dailies.

Two days after the CAT controversy, Dholakia found a couple of hours to address all students of his institute to explain the controversy and the role of IIMs, including IIM-A, which was responsible for sending the final format of the CAT questions to the printing press this year. "I do not want my students and staff to know about the developments only from the media, so I talked to them directly and I was open to any questions they raised," he said.

Of course, there is a possibility of ministerial retribution for the manner in which Dholakia, on behalf of the IIMs, has insisted on retaining CAT. But a senior manager of a consumer goods multinationals thinks Dholakia would rather step down than harm the IIMs' interests. "He's grown from the grassroots and unlike most others, he still has his strong grassroot connections," he said.

On Friday morning, two days after the decision to postpone the CAT exam to February 15 was announced, Dholakia, looking tired, was found returning to his office dressed, after several days in unaccustomed suits, in his trademark light-pink shirt, imperfectly ironed trousers and chappals. "We are not going back to the same press, so do not expect another scam this time," he said.

For that, we may have to wait for February 15. If all goes well, Dholakia may be able to argue that the leaks were a stray incident. If not, it will be game, set and match to Joshi.