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Last week, i.e., 16th-21st Jan. 2006, gave a sense of déjà vu when it was reported that HRD ministry has denied IIM Bangalore permission to open its off-shore campus at Singapore. The Indian media seized the event thinking that this move will hog same attention as it has happened to IIM-fee cut controversy when Murali Manohar Joshi had tried to curb IIM autonomy. The move by Joshi, then HRD Minister, was opposed by IIMs tooth and nail and generated a significant controversy in electronic and print media.

However, with a more friendly government and with no ideological axe to grind, this issue seems to pass into oblivion with IIMB board deciding to amend its charter.

However, the thing which most surprises is that while HRD Ministry shows quite an alacrity when it comes to the matter of IIMs, whether it is fee cut or expansion overseas, the same zeal goes missing when it comes to the other management schools of India. Despite so much hoopla on the "India" name, nothing of concrete has happened so far and the idea remains just an idea.

At present, the state of affairs in higher education cannot be worse where public institutes are at the bottom of efficiency and are more in news for student elections, while private syndicates, having discovered the goldmine, are busy fleecing the students and poor parents.

At present, there is no genuine body governing these management schools that have sprung like mushrooms all over the country, with some charging as high as Rs. 6 lakhs fee from students, and that too without any approval and infrastructure. AICTE, the so-called regulatory body, looks more like MCD where it is seen abetting the defaulters more than regulating them or chasing the right people. For example, one of the significant tasks of AICTE has been to send a showcase letter to ISB asking details about its partnership with Kellogs and other top schools, but it has never seen any full page ad by some pony-tailed self-appointed management about some top class MBA from some European college, and has never sent any notice of that sort.

However, HRD & media both seem to miss out these anomalies and just follow IIMs. It is high-time that HRD Ministry shall bother about the rotten stuff rather than minding something, which is already world class and is a hallmark of quality. After all, Caesar’s wife should be above doubt.

Concluded.

* Author: - Wet Toad is a management professional.
Disclaimer: All views expressed are persoanl and CA does not take any responsibility for them.