The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday approved a bill designating the President of India as the “Visitor” for all Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), amid opposition raising concerns regarding various matters concerning the nation’s top business schools and expressed worries about the potential for the legislation to curtail the autonomy of these institutions.
The Upper House cleared the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aims to strengthen the governance and oversight of the prestigious institutions while preserving their academic autonomy, by a voice vote.
Lok Sabha had cleared the bill on August 4.
Replying to a debate on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the government has no intention to take away academic accountability from the institute, but the bill will only ensure its management accountability.
He noted that the Centre has spent more than Rs 6,000 crore setting up the IIMs.
According to the bill, which seeks to amend the IIM Act of 2017, the President will be a visitor to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) with powers to audit their functioning, order probes, and appoint as well as remove directors.
Under the IIM Act, which came into force in January 2018 and granted the premier B-schools greater autonomy, the board of governors of each institute has 19 members, including just one representative each from the central and state governments.
