Without tinkering with the autonomy of the IIMs, the government is examining a proposal to bring the prestigious B-schools under an umbrella legislation and have decided to constitute a fresh Review Committee to go into their functioning.

Setting at rest speculation that the government intended to curtail the autonomy of IIMs, HRD ministry said, "the government has been examining the issue of bringing the IIMs in the country under an umbrella legislation like the Institutes of Technology Act."

"It may be clarified that bringing the IIMs under the ambit of a central law will in no way alter their accountability to the Parliament or their status of being public institutions," the ministry officially stated.

Noting that almost a decade and a half has elapsed since the last review of the work and progress of IIMs, the Centre has decided to constitute a Third Review Committee to go into the present status of IIMs in fulfilment of their objectives, their expansion proposals in the 11th Plan, per student cost of various courses, availability of educational loans, scholarships and freeships to the students.

The government was in the process of nominating a suitable chairperson to head this proposed Review Committee, it said adding "enactment of suitable legislation for the IIMs is not one of the terms of reference of the proposed Review Committee. The government is competent to draft and introduce a Bill in this regard in the Parliament".

The clarification comes in the wake of reports that the ministry was planning a new law in order to control IIMs.