No helping hand for weaker IIMs: Murthy

The chairman of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, board NR Narayana Murthy yesterday rejected the idea of better-off institutes supporting the weaker ones.

He said the stronger IIMs, like IIM-Ahmedabad, had a lot to do to strengthen themselves.

"IIM-Ahmedabad cannot take up other IIMs. It cannot to anything for others," Murthy told newsmen when asked whether financially sound IIMs could help the weaker ones.

"IIMs at Indore and Lucknow are good institutes. They have good people and I am sure they will be taken forward," he said.

Murthy said each IIM should help itself. He was, however, open to the idea of faculty transfer. "This can be discussed," he said.

The idea of stronger IIMs helping the weaker ones came up yesterday when Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh announced government plans to set up an IIM in northeast.

Singh had said the institute would be set up and operated by one of the established IIMs after which it would function independently.

As the IIMs thrash out a formula for need-based scholarships, Murthy said the ministry did the right thing by allowing the institutes to decide their own fee structure.

"This is the right thing to do and I am glad our proposal (to keep the fee structure intact while allowing for need-based scholarship) has been accepted," he said after IIM Indore, IIM Calcutta yesterday decided to revert to the old fee structure but offer need-based scholarship to students.