New Delhi: Perturbed at the diversity deficit in Indian Institutes of Management, the Global IIM Alumni Network, which has members working across the world, has written to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement reservation policy as mandated by the Constitution of India. They have also sent an elaborate list of proposed amendments to the IIM Autonomy Bill 2017, passed by Lok Sabha and to be taken up by upper house Rajya Sabha.
In an open letter to Kovind, Modi on Wednesday, the alumni group has quoted the recently published data obtained through RTI showing only 2 SC, Nil ST and 13 OBC members amongst 512 faculties in 10 IIMs. The letter that is marked to the HRD minister Prakash Javadekar as well, mentions top four IIMs at Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Banglore and Lucknow having only 24 SC/ST/OBC students out of total 388 students enrolled in the FPM doctoral program. Presently, the IIMs follow reservation policy in flagship PGP program (equivalent to MBA), but it doesn’t follow the reservation policy in Executive MBA, FPM and faculty positions.
This petition comes days after the high-level delegation, led by Anil Wagde, Arun Khobragade and Dr. Suraj Yengde representing scholars, professionals along with IIM alumni met IIM Ahmedabad director-in-charge Errol Dsouza under the aegis of Global IIM Alumni Network. During the meeting, emphasis was laid on IIM-A’s obligation, as a public institution, to follow the mandate provided by the Constitution of India and quoted the recently published data collected, via RTI, compiled by Deepak Malghan, Assistant Professor Centre for Public Policy, IIM-Bangalore and Siddhartha Joshi, doctoral fellow in the paper titled ‘Missing Scholars: Social Exclusion at the Indian Institutes of Management’.
“We were particularly aggrieved by the FPM admission forms of the 2018-19 batch. Despite the constitutional mandate and the legal binding, all the IIM institutes avoid mentioning the reservation criteria in their FPM programs,” Wagde said.
The alumni network has also urged all IIMs to mention reservation of diverse communities in its advertisement for FPM and faculty positions. The high-powered team also blamed the IIMs for failing to nurture students from the marginalized backgrounds to incorporate into its system. “Thus, to fill the vacuum created by the IIMs it has to vigorously reach out to the diverse constituency,” the letter sought.
Proposed amendments in IIM Bill
1) Publish data on SC/ST/OBC applicants for FPM (Fellowship Programme in Management, equivalent to Ph.D.) and faculty recruitment annually and effort made to fill the shortfall.
2) Call for diversity in FPM program by including candidates from SC/ST/OBC applicants - Encourage recent PGP alumni to apply for FPM programme and senior alumni for lateral recruitment at the faculty level.
3) Develop a special programme to fill faculty positions from SC/ST/OBC applicants.
4) To have special recruitment for SC/ST/OBC applicants at least once a year.
5) Have a rolling advertisement on websites on the selection of SC/ST/OBC candidates for FPM and faculty (IIMs are in dire need of faculty members).
6) The inclusion of SC/ST/OBC persons of respective domain area in selection panel for FPM participant selection and faculty member recruitment.
7) Video recording of selection process for SC/ST/OBC applicants for FPM and faculty positions.
8) Faculty and FPM Interview panel should include 1-2 SC/ST/OBC representatives.
9) Create SC/ST/OBC cell at various IIMs.
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