New Delhi, Oct 27: The HRD Ministry has set up a seven-member committee to explore the feasibility of giving greater autonomy to over 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in the country.
The panel, which is expected to submit its report in two months, is headed by former IIT-Kanpur chairman M Anandkrishnan. Directors of IITs in Kharagpur, Madras, Bombay, Delhi and Kanpur are also the committee members.
The ministry’s move came eight months after it granted unprecedented autonomy to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
Panel to seek feedback from the IIMs on their experience
The panel will also seek feedback from the IIMs on their experience under the new IIM Act, which gives them more autonomy, before finalising its report.
The IIM Act, which came into effect on January 31, not only empowers the 20 business schools to award degrees to students instead of postgraduate diplomas, it also gives the institutes unprecedented levels of autonomy. For example, the IIMs can now independently appoint their own chairmen and directors. Also, the government representation on the board of each IIM has gone down significantly.
Panel asked to suggest changes in the composition of IIT BoG
The panel has been asked to suggest changes in the composition of the Board of Governors (BoG) of IITs, a media report said.
An IIT BoG comprises of nine members, all of whom are either directly or indirectly nominated by the government.
The committee will also examine whether the BoG should get the authority to amend the IIT’s statutes that govern day-to-day functioning. At present amendment, repeal or addition to the IIT statutes is possible only with the approval of the President, who is the Visitor of all IITs.
“Some of the best engineering schools abroad have bigger boards representing diverse voices and experience. They also have a strong alumni presence. The IIT boards are small and their composition is controlled by the government. There is no room or provision for alumni either,” a committee member was quoted as saying by a leading English daily.
IIT autonomy pitched by a McKinsey team
The ministry’s move to examine autonomy for the IITs came in the wake of a presentation made by a McKinsey team to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar in August. The McKinsey presentation – which was arranged at the behest of one of Javadekar’s colleagues in the Council of Ministers, who is an IIT alumnus – had pitched for more autonomy for the IITs and had especially suggested a change in the BoG composition.