Quota for faculty members at IIMs on anvil: Javadekar

The Union Human Resources Development Ministry is considering introducing reservation for faculty positions at Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here on Friday that the ministry would shortly hold talks with the chiefs of the prestigious B-schools in this regard. The Chairmen and Directors of IIMs will first meet at IIM-Shillong on September 20 to discuss the matter.

The minister was at IIM-Ahmedabad to interact with faculty members and students.

At present, there is no quota for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in teaching jobs at IIMs, all set up by the government. All IIMs are registered societies governed by their respective Board of Governors.

Javadekar said he was reviewing the existing reservation system for faculty posts in other premier educational institutes like IITs and NITs. "I recently held meetings of Councils of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) in Delhi to discuss this issue," he said.

He went on, "I also plan to hold such meetings with National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and central universities. I am conducting a review of all institutes and existing system (for faculty reservation), and government rules pertaining to reservation and related provisions under Constitution."

He said a Bill, which aims to provide IIMs more autonomy in their governance and allow them to offer degree courses, is currently at "proposal" stage.

"The IIM Bill will provide more autonomy to the IIMs, and allow them to offer degree courses, which they cannot do now because of their status as a society. We will amend existing laws like we did for IITs and NITs to allow them to offer degree courses," he said.

"The new Bill is at proposal stage. It will be taken up by different ministries which will offer their recommendations. It will then go to the Cabinet, and then to Parliament," Javadekar said.

"What our government intends is to allow more autonomy to the IIMs and other higher educational institutes so that they grow on the basis of their quality," he said.

Javadekar said the government was working for improving the quality of education. "Our aim is to promote education and make it accessible to all. From KG to PG, 27 crore students are taking education. Our aim is to improve the quality of education."

The government is in dialogue with stakeholders to frame an "effective (education) policy", he said.

--IANS

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