Letters: 'Managing' institutes

This refers to the article “Out of business” (May 22) by Kalpana Pathak. Since most parents send their children to business schools for the sole purpose of getting immediate placements, the fortunes of these institutions fluctuate with the health of the labour market.

The problem is aggravated because the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) – which regulate the entry of new management institutes – do not have a short- and-long-term projection of the requirement of management students based on growth in business.

Besides, given the slack recognition norms – “20,000 square feet built-up area, seven faculty members, 20 computers, 20,000 books and subscription to 20 journals” – most institutions generate a vast pool of MBAs who are qualified but not employable.

Instead of depending on market self-correction, the AICTE and UGC should revise the entry norms, ensure that the curriculum is based on industry needs and set a limit on the number of such institutions.

Y G Chouksey, Pune

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