Sudha Murty, IIIT Dharwad and institutional autonomy

This is one item I have been following with disbelief- and, of course, I am assuming that ET has got the facts right.

The story, as you can see for yourself, is that IIIT Dharwad has plans for constructing buildings which were to be financed by MHRD (50%), the state government (35%) and Keonics, a state PSU (15%). After Sudha Murty was appointed Chairperson, she proposed that Keonics be replaced as a partner by Infosys Foundation. In return for the funds that Infosys Foundation would provide, the buildings at IIIT would be named after Infosys.

The MHRD referred the proposal to the law ministry. The law ministry objects on grounds of conflict of interest involving Ms Murty. I have a more fundamental objection: how can an institution funding 15% of a project want its name to be assigned to the project? At best, there could be a plaque in the buildings thanking Infosys Foundation for its contribution.

The story doesn't end there. Ms Murty apparently wants the mentoring institution, NIT Suratkal, to be replaced by IIIT Bangalore of which she happens to be a board member- another conflict of interest.

This little episode reinforces a point that I have long been making and that readers will be familiar with: it is most unwise to leave the governance of public educational institutions entirely to boards of governors in the name of autonomy. Those sitting on these boards have little stakes in these institutions and cannot be expected to take care of the long-term interests of the institutions. The government needs to keep a watchful eye through its own representatives and by requiring the institutions to obtain government approval in important matters.

This is the reason I favour the IIM Bill. TOI reports the Bill is being held up following objections raised by the PMO to certain provisions. The PMO does not want the HRD minister to head the IIM council and it also has reservations about the President being the Visitor to the IIMs. The PMO does not think that the IIT model is appropriate for the IIMs.

I'm afraid the PMO is mistaken on these counts. Matters cannot be left to the IIM boards- there has to be an independent authority to oversee the boards of the IIMs. This is because there would otherwise be no checks and balances otherwise on the functioning of the boards. Boards are ineffective even when they are subject to the discipline of the financial market. Where market discipline is absent, boards can become seriously dysfunctional and harmful.

This is not just my view. Matters haven't been put to vote at the leading IIMs but my sense is that a majority of faculty feel that way. We feel that faculty autonomy is better safeguarded by having the ministry watch over the boards than by leaving matters entirely to boards. Our greatest apprehension is that faculty autonomy will be undermined if matters are left to IIM boards as, in practice, this would result in unchecked powers for the directors of the IIMs. We see the government as the saviour and protector of faculty autonomy, not as a threat. As long as we are governed by the rules of service of the government of India, we believe we can express ourselves freely as academics.

It would be worthwhile for MHRD and the PMO to engage faculty at IIIT Dharwad and at the IIMs in these conversations. The PMO may be well-intentioned but it seems unware of the facts on the ground. It would benefit by eliciting faculty views on these matters.