The Centre's IIM Bill proposes to grant more autonomy to the country's 19 Indian Institutes of Management, said Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar in Ahmedabad on Friday.
"The IIM Bill will aim to empower the 19 institutes to award degrees instead of diplomas for their two-year postgraduate programme," said the minister. He, however, chose to be silent on the selection of the new IIM-A chairman. He just said: "It will be a good person. The process of consultation is on."
Javadekar made these statements after holding a closed door meeting with IIM-Ahmedabad officials and faculty members. He later said that the meeting revolved mainly around suggestions for improving the quality of education and research and partly on the IIM Bill which suggests granting more autonomy to the IIMs.
Interim IIM-A chairman and C&MD, Zydus Group, Pankaj Patel; director Ashish Nanda; and senior faculty members were present at the meeting.
Friday's meeting assumes significance in the light of the September 20 meeting scheduled in Shillong where directors of all IIMs will gather to deliberate on the new IIM Bill with Javadekar and officials of his ministry.
Regarding the bill, the minister said it is still in draft stage. "It is to be circulated among ministries for their opinion and will then come to the Cabinet before being placed in Parliament. Right now we are looking at formulating a few laws that will empower IIMs to offer degrees like the IITs," Javadekar said.
On the status of the Centre's New Education policy, Javadekar said that suggestions had come in large numbers from various states.
"On September 30, a special panel will review these suggestions and then form a draft. It will be circulated for suggestions and improvements. The responses have been encouraging," the minister said.
On the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), Javadekar said NEET will bring in quality students to the medical field from all sections of society, irrespective of their economic backgrounds.
He said that national-level consultations will also be held for Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT), Central Universities and the NITs in the coming days. "I am visiting all institutes to take suggestions and opinions on how to improve the quality of education and what the student community expects from an institute," Javadekar said.
When prodded to say something about measures to stop suicides on campus and what recommendations the Justice Ashok Kumar Roopanwal probe panel had made following the Rohit Vemula suicide, Javadekar said the HRD ministry is coming out with a comprehensive and effective grievance redressal system, counselling services, and other facilities for students. "But most importantly a system of dialogue should be in place on campuses," the minister said.
"The IIM Bill will aim to empower the 19 institutes to award degrees instead of diplomas for their two-year postgraduate programme," said the minister. He, however, chose to be silent on the selection of the new IIM-A chairman. He just said: "It will be a good person. The process of consultation is on."
Javadekar made these statements after holding a closed door meeting with IIM-Ahmedabad officials and faculty members. He later said that the meeting revolved mainly around suggestions for improving the quality of education and research and partly on the IIM Bill which suggests granting more autonomy to the IIMs.
Interim IIM-A chairman and C&MD, Zydus Group, Pankaj Patel; director Ashish Nanda; and senior faculty members were present at the meeting.
Friday's meeting assumes significance in the light of the September 20 meeting scheduled in Shillong where directors of all IIMs will gather to deliberate on the new IIM Bill with Javadekar and officials of his ministry.
Regarding the bill, the minister said it is still in draft stage. "It is to be circulated among ministries for their opinion and will then come to the Cabinet before being placed in Parliament. Right now we are looking at formulating a few laws that will empower IIMs to offer degrees like the IITs," Javadekar said.
On the status of the Centre's New Education policy, Javadekar said that suggestions had come in large numbers from various states.
"On September 30, a special panel will review these suggestions and then form a draft. It will be circulated for suggestions and improvements. The responses have been encouraging," the minister said.
On the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), Javadekar said NEET will bring in quality students to the medical field from all sections of society, irrespective of their economic backgrounds.
He said that national-level consultations will also be held for Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT), Central Universities and the NITs in the coming days. "I am visiting all institutes to take suggestions and opinions on how to improve the quality of education and what the student community expects from an institute," Javadekar said.
When prodded to say something about measures to stop suicides on campus and what recommendations the Justice Ashok Kumar Roopanwal probe panel had made following the Rohit Vemula suicide, Javadekar said the HRD ministry is coming out with a comprehensive and effective grievance redressal system, counselling services, and other facilities for students. "But most importantly a system of dialogue should be in place on campuses," the minister said.