New Delhi: Human Resource Development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal has announced that central government is against privatisation of educational institutions. As per sources, the announcement was made by Sibal at the 36th annual convocation ceremony of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) on Thursday i.e. on March 31, 2011. Sibal categorically stated that privatisation was a dirty word. He said that he think privatisation is a very dirty word. He said that they do not believe in privatizing education. Moreover, educational institutions have to serve a societal purpose.
The HRD minister’s remark comes in the awake of assumption about privatisation of IIMs, after a proposal by a committee constituted by the human resource development ministry. Sources informed that the committee recommended collection of substantial donations from corporate institutions and alumni to be appointed as members of the IIM society. Moreover, as per the panel proposal the membership fee for corporate bodies will be Rs 20 crore, for ex-students Rs 3 crore and other individuals Rs 5 crore. Experts believe that it would pave the way for privatisation of IIMs.
Although, Sibal stated that the United Progressive Alliance government was not against private participation in the education sector. He said that he do not mean there should be no private participation in education. It is different from privatisation. Sibal added that private participation must serve public goal. He added that autonomy to institutes of excellence like IIMs was “necessary”. He said that government was in favor of granting full autonomy to the boards of IIMs to select their respective chairman and director. In addition, he said that they want the IIMs’ boards to select their respective chairman and director so that they (the government) distance ourselves from the (selection) process. He suggested that the board can set up a search committee and give them the names to be appointed.
Furthermore, Mukesh Ambani, chairman of the IIM-B board of governors and IIMB director, Prof Pankaj Chandra and host of faculty members also attended the convocation.
