Public Interest Litigation Filed in SC Against IIM Fee-cut

On Tuesday, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Union HRD ministry's decision to reduce the fee-structure of IIMs drastically, alleging that it was a done to gain control over these institutions.

This PIL was filed by Advocate Sandeep Parekh and two IIM graduates - Saiket Sengupta and Anish Mathew. The petition has requested the Apex Court to strike down the decision of the government, taken on February 5, to reduce the fee structure and stop government's encroachment in the academic affairs of IIMs.

As per the February 5 decision, the ministry had decided to drastically reduce the fees for the PG programmes in the IIMs to Rs. 30,000/- per annum from the original fees of Rs. 1,50,000/- per annum. The ministry had said that this decision has been taken after considering the recent Supreme Court order and the recommendations of the U. R. Rao Review Committee which went into the issue.

The petitioners who filed the PIL said the government had gradually reduced the subsidy given to IIMs from 1992 on the basis of the Curien Committee recommendations with a view to give them more autonomy. They further alleged that the present move was taken without taking into account the cash inflow-outflow scenario of the institutions and without hearing the stakeholders of the society governing the IIMs.

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Express your Outrage, sign the Petition at CoolAvenues.