Our PM doesn’t seem sympathetic to the autonomy of academic institutions. He seems to promote the idea of delivery first, then funds: Andre Beteille
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasised the autonomy his government had granted to higher-education institutions but several academics questioned the claim.
Inaugurating a conference on education here, Modi termed the autonomy given to the IIMs “unprecedented”.
Among the freedoms granted to the B-schools by the IIM Act, passed last year, are those to appoint their directors and chairpersons.
“They can decide their course curricula, teachers’ appointments, board members’ appointments and expansion of the institution. The government will have no role,” Modi said.
He also lauded the University Grants Commission’s initiative of graded autonomy, notified this year, which grants institutions with higher scores in teaching, research and infrastructure greater freedom in expanding and launching new courses.
Some academics have alleged such autonomy would promote privatisation, encouraging institutions to start courses in the self-financing mode.
“Our Prime Minister doesn’t seem sympathetic to the autonomy of academic institutions. He seems to promote the idea of delivery first, then funds. The question is, delivery for whom and who is going to judge the quality of delivery?” Sociologist Andre Beteille said.
He said the government should not grade or rank its own institutions (the human resource development ministry has for the past three years been ranking higher-education institutions under the National Institutional Ranking Framework).
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