IIMs to increase students intake  

Shillong: Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday asked the Directors and Chairmen of 20 Indian Institutes of Management to submit plans for expansion of their intake capacity from 10,000 to 20,000 students.

Javadekar’s instruction came during his meeting with the Directors and Chairman of the B-schools, which was held at the Indian Institute Management-Shillong campus on Tuesday morning.

“We have decided to increase the intake capacity of students from 10,000 to 20,000 so that more students will get opportunity to take part in these best institutes.

All (IIM) Directors have also narrated how they are ready for how much expansion and if there are problems they will mention it and submit action plans on expansion of students intake,” Javadekar told journalists.

Apart from increasing the B-schools’ intake capacity, the minister said, “The IIMs have also decided to expand (the number of) doctoral programmes (PhD programmes) to address the shortage of faculty through creating quality PhDs.”

“We also discussed how to expand PhD programmes by offering IIM scholars more fellowships. As in Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) Council, we have decided to give Prime Minister Research Fellowship. We will also take government’s approval for Prime Minister’s scholarship for the best of the best PhD scholars in IIMs. But the final decision will be taken by the cabinet,” he stated.

On Prime Minister Research Fellowship for IIT scholars, Javadekar said, “The IITs already have their own funding. Therefore, we also want to provide these benefits for IIM scholars, and necessary sanction will be given to this soon.”
Javadekar said the IIMs would also participate in the new initiative of the government to make 20 world-class universities/institutes.

“The government will create world-class institutes -- ten in government sector and ten in private sector. Therefore, the IIMs should also prepare themselves because these world-class institutes will be decided finally by challenge mode,” he said.

Asked whether any of the proposed world-class universities/institutes will be established in the northeastern states, the Union Minister said, “As I said, everybody will participate... As you know, after Modi became Prime Minister, the whole focus on northeast has increased not only in academic but in every sector. Therefore, this programme will be finalised and declared soon after cabinet approval.”

IANS