IIM-B rules out increasing capacity

Bangalore, Oct 30 (UNI) The prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, (IIM-B) today firmly ruled out any increase in its seats to meet the reservation requirements until the Government satisfied the proposals it had put forth.

IIM-B Director P G Apte told newspersons after the Board meeting that the IIM-B had requested the Centre Rs 130 crore over the next three years to increase the capacity by over 50 per cent. The cost included acquisition of land for expanding the Institute.

He said the Institute was facing acute faculty shortage and was unable to attract quality teachers in view of the inadequate compensation. Last year, the Institute offered positions to 12 candidates out of the 15 interviewed, but only two had joined. The candidates were wooed by the corporate sector and other business schools which offered better remuneration.

The Board today approved a revised compensation package as suggested by a Committee of Faculty, with the Government declining to go into the revision of pay scales as it was now before the Sixth Pay Commission. The revised package included enhancement of incentive to the teaching staff of executive programmes by 30 to 40 per cent, besides a modification in the compensation in consultancy projects. Currently, it was shared in the ratio of 60:40 for teachers and the Institute respectively. The proposed one would see any sharing only after Rs six lakh. However, this had to be approved by the Government.

Mr Apte said besides faculty and other infrastructure, there was a need for improvement of secondary infrastructure such as schools and health facilities.

About the Institute's proposed Singapore campus, he said it should be in place by October next year. The process was on and a number of legal hurdles had to be crossed, including amendment to the Memorandum of Agreement, approved by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry and the Economic Development Board of Singapore.

He said the IIM-B would henceforth not announce the compensation packages offered by companies during campus recruitment and even the students have been advised against it. The recruiting companies have also been asked to give an indication of the compensation without naming the student.

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