Contribute towards national development goals: Irani asks IIMs

HRD Minister Smriti Irani Sunday outlined a 13-point agenda for IIMs that includes developing strategies to meet teacher shortfall, a special programme for northeast students and contributing towards national development goals.

Addressing the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) conclave attended by chairpersons and directors of 13 IIMs in Bangalore, Human Resource Development Minister Irani focused on issues related to national development goals, admission process and review of institutes, other innovations and initiatives to scale up research in IIMs.

She asked the chairpersons and the directors to come up with strategies to create enough manpower and also address the issue of shortfall of teachers in the country.

"The IIMs should create a mechanism for a global talent pool of eminent persons, who could then contribute their expertise not only to IIMs but to other institutions in the country as well. The IIMs need to create a knowledge consortium by bringing together various institutions," she said.

The minister asked the IIMs to develop a special programme for students of the northeastern states on the lines of the Indian Institute of Technology.

Urging the IIMs to "contribute their management expertise" to national projects, Irani said the IIMs also needed to work with local industries and communities.