The Hindu Business Line : IIM fee cut `is no interference' <br>Govt ready to fill any gap: Sanjay Paswan

THE drastic cut in the annual fee for the post-graduate programmes in the Indian Institutes of Managements (IIMs) is not an interference in the autonomy of these institutions, according to the Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development, Dr Sanjay Paswan.

He said the Centre, which took the decision to slash the annual fee in the six IIMs to just 20 per cent of the existing fee from over Rs 1.50 lakh per year to Rs 30,000, was willing to meet any shortfall these institutes may suffer because of the reduction in the fees.

Speaking to Business Line here, he said he was of the `firm opinion that education in India must be within the reach of every Indian'. It was "shocking to note" that somebody had not "taken admission because of scarcity of funds". He said the decision had been appreciated by the student community.

Asked about the piquant situation being faced by the IIMs because of the cut in the fee at a time when the Finance Ministry was stated to have reduced the financial aid to the IIMs, Dr Paswan said if there was any loss to the IIMs because of the Government decision, "we are ready to fill the gap" and he felt that "neither tangible or intangible damage is going to be caused to the IIMs."

When asked whether the Government decision to reduce the fee did not amount to stepping on to the autonomy of these institutions since such issues were decided by the board of directors of the IIMs, he said the Government was having a representation on the board since the inception of the IIMs. Stressing that the Government wanted to involve itself and interact with the IIMs, he said: "We don't want to interrupt, we don't want to intervene, we don't want to interfere" with the IIMs.

Asked whether the Centre would continue with its budgetary support to the six IIMs, he said the Government was prepared to even increase the financial support to them but at the same time, the Government wanted them to be self-sustaining.

Asked about the reported fear of the IIMs that they would not be able to spend as much on equipping the institutions as they were able to do so earlier in view of the substantial expenses they incurred per student that was higher than even the earlier fee charged, Mr Paswan said this view was not being expressed by the authorities in charge of the IIMs.

"We are in the same wavelength now", he said.

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