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Even as the governing board of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) await Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)'s approval for the director's post, the B-school has asked its dean faculty, Ajay Pandey to take over as the acting director in the interim from April 1, 2013.
IIM-A's incumbent director, Samir Barua's current extended term will end on March 31, 2013 after which he will step down. On Wednesday, Pandey received an offer letter for the acting director's post subject to his acceptance.
Confirming receipt of the offer letter and stating that he would accept it on Thursday, Pandey told Business Standard that he had been sounded off much earlier by the IIM-A Board of Governors (BoG).
"I received the letter on Wednesday and will give my consent on Thursday. My appointment for acting director's post will be till June 30 or as notified by BoG, whichever earlier. Hence, I will fill in the post in the interim till the board finds the next director or till June 30, whichever earlier," said Pandey.
A finance and accounting professor, Pandey completed his B.E. from IIT Roorkee followed by a fellow program at IIM-A. As a faculty member, Pandey has also taught at MDI Gurgaon, ASCI Hyderabad as well as IIM Lucknow (IIM-L).
As an acting director, Pandey said that the he would be able to use existing process and operate on the existing framework. "However, I cannot take decisions on new processes or commit for the future which could become binding on the new director," he added.
Earlier on Saturday, March 23, 2013, IIM-A BoG chairman AM Naik told mediapersons on the sidelines of the institute's convocation that the institute would announce name of the acting director the following week.
