IIMs will be given back autonomy

THE NEW TEAM'S FIRST DAY

HRD: Issue of saffronisation of education to be taken up.

In what might come as a breather to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), new human resources development minister Arjun Singh said autonomy would be restored at the management schools.

In fact, he indicated that a meeting with the directors of the IIMs could take place as early as next week. It was during Singh's previous tenure at the human resource development ministry in the early 1990's that reforms were first initiated at the country's premier business schools, giving them a higher degree of autonomy.

While being cautious over his statements about the IIMs, he said he would like to probe into the "rationale" behind the fee-cut decision of the previous government.

"We have already said all institutions of higher learning must have autonomy. I will have to look into it... The matter has gone to the court," Singh said, when asked by reporters about the fee cut decision. Asked about IIM's desire to hold dialogue with the ministry, he said, "I am prepared for dialogue with anyone, why only with IIMs."

The minister said, "I am not starting with any prejudice. What has to be done will be done." But what will be taken up immediately is the issue of saffronisation of education.

Not hinting at any drastic reversal of the steps the last incumbent, Murli Manohar Joshi, had taken, Singh hoped to address the problem gradually. He said he would be meeting officials from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Tuesday.

A review committee will be set up to look into the communalisation of education, as has been the demand of the Left parties. Singh said education was a  continuously evolving and expanding field, and it was therefore important to be flexible in formulating policies for it.

"Let me first see. Give me at least a day's time," he said, when explaining whether his ministry would take concrete steps to reverse the communalisation of education perpetuated by the Joshi ministry.

To a specific question about the demand of the Left parties to detoxify the academic institutions, Singh said there would be "no witchhunt".

It was pointed out that the states, which were ruled by the Congress and the Left, had refused to introduce the textbooks in the curriculum.

Speaking on the Vedic astrology course introduced by Joshi, he said the viability of the course depended on its demand.

Speaking on the University Grants Commission's (UGC) move to make universities self-sufficient in funding for themselves, he said it was not possible for all universities to be self-reliant.

Singh added that distant education was the "future of education". The ministry would take specific steps to strengthen distant education, he said.