IIM-A moves court against fee cut

IIM-C faculty seeks to be made party in case

The board of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, yesterday filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court stating that the Centre's decision to cut fees could encroach on its autonomy.

In an almost simultaneous action, the faculty council of IIM-Calcutta filed an application before the court for impleading it as a respondent in the ongoing public interest litigation against the fee cuts. IIM-Bangalore is likely to file a similar application on Thursday.

"We filed an affidavit in court that speaks of our stand on the fee cut and autonomy issues. The affidavit mainly contains the position paper published by the faculty of IIM-A and resolutions adopted by the society and board in the first week of April. The affidavit also mentions that the institute has set up a committee to discuss the issues with the ministry of human resources development," said a source close to the IIM-A board.

The Supreme Court had on April 8 asked all six IIMs to express their interest to become a party to the ongoing litigation. The court had told all six IIMs to take "notice that in default of appearance, the matter will be decided and determined in your absence".

The boards of IIM-Lucknow and IIM-Kozhikode, it is reliably learnt, will emphasise in court on Friday their consent to the fee cut.

"But there is confusion about IIM-Indore because its board is split on the fee cut," said a source in the institute.

The board of IIM-Calcutta is likely to file an affidavit in court on Thursday that is not expected to differ with the government order.