IIM-A to expand 54% in three years

After months of speculation, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), has decided to comply with the recommendations of the Veerappa Moily report on 54 per cent expansion in a period of three years.

Earlier, the institution had said it needed at least four years to implement the expansion plan. However, at a meeting of the Board of Governors chaired by Narayan Murthy, a new policy of quota expansion was proposed and accepted unanimously.

Under the policy, the institution will increase seats by 10 per cent in the 2007-2008 academic year, by 18 per cent in 2008-09, and by 26 per cent till 2009-10, making it a cumulative hike of 54 per cent.

It has decided to utilise the land allotted for a sport complex on the new campus for constructing student hostels and residences for faculty and administration members.

"The new policy drafted by us will ensure that the expansion is done in a systematic and phased manner and in a way that does not compromise with the quality of education," said Murthy.

Bakul Dholakia, director of IIM-A, talking about the financial framework for the proposed expansion, said, "The institute will be placing a proposal before the Centre for a one-time capital grant of Rs 83-84 crore. Our corpus had taken a hit with the construction of the new campus, though, apart from this grant, we hope to maintain our self-sufficient status."

The meeting also took up the issue of the faculty shortage ratio which currently stands at 1: 8.5, with 20 per cent of the teaching responsibility borne by visiting faculty. The board would be meeting again in mid-December to discuss ways and means to increase faculty strength, added Dholakia.

The board has chosen IIM-A alumnus M S Banga to chair its International Advisory Council, which will strategise global alliances and networking for the institution. Dholakia also announced the creation of a gender resource centre for research on gender issues.