HC seeks Centre's reply on appointment of directors at IIMs

Delhi High Court today sought the Centre's response on a petition seeking setting aside of advertisements issued for appointing directors at various IIMs across the country and asked whether there was a change in the appointment policy.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath issued notice to Ministry of Human Resource & Development asking them to "get instruction on or before February 24 as to whether there is any change in policy on the appointments of Directors at Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)."
The court notice was issued on a plea which alleged that the advertisement dated January 12, 2016, issued in respect of appointment of directors of various IIMs, for the first time demands first class at graduation and post-graduation level to qualify as a candidate for the said post.

Pritam Singh, who claims to be an academic administrator and Subrat Kumar, a researcher and trainer in the higher education sector, stated in their plea that the government wants to "oust certain candidates and at the same time ensure eligibility for a few".
"The central government in order to enforce its own agenda/or in order to oust certain candidates from being considered for the post of Director in particular IIM and at the same time to ensure the eligibility of its chosen candidates in certain IIMs," senior advocate Parag Tripathi and advocate Rajesh Ranjan submitted.
They said the government has laid down "unconstitutional, arbitrary and contradictory" criteria and qualifications for these posts.

The plea states that IIM Review Committee report in 2008

stipulated the need for the best available talent so as to avoid involvement of future possibility of political factors.
It said the objective of the report, also known as Bhargava Committee Report, has always been to get visionary leaders and institution builders, which was not necessarily correlated with having a first class at graduation/post graduation levels.
Petitioners further submitted that introduction of such arbitrary criterion will prejudice the interest of the SC/ST and OBC Candidates who did not get an advantageous start but become accomplished academicians and excellent leaders later.

"It is evident that there are 19 IIMs, in all the 19 IIMs there is a post of director, such directors are appointed for a tenure of five years. In last 3-4 years advertisements have been published seeking applications for the post of directors for 13 IIMs. Out of the above 13 advertisements, in advertisements with respect to 8 IIMs there is a requirement of a first-class degree at graduate and postgraduate level.
"In the advertisement published with regard to one of the IIMs i.E. Ranchi initially in the year 2013, there was no such requirement. However the same advertisement has been published again in the year 2015 and a requirement of first-class degree has been imposed," the plea said.

It further said the advertisements published with respect to IIMs in Bangalore, Indore and Kolkata, there was no such requirement.
"Most interestingly the advertisement which has been published with respect to Tiruchirappalli there is a different requirement i.E a first class degree at either graduation or post graduation level," the petition added.