IIM-A needs growth sans politics: Singhania

Ahmedabad, Apr 1 (UNI) Chairperson of the Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahemedabad Vijaypat Singhania said a world-class institute like IIM-A needs academic freedom, sans politics, to thrive.

Addressing the gathering at the 42nd annual convocation here yesterday, Mr Singhania said ''IIM-A is one of the top B-Schools in the Asia-Pacific because of its exacting standards of excellence. It has higher expectation. I hope stakeholders will help the institute to grow. It has a brand image. Do exercise caution. Prevent this great temple of learning from being politicised.'' Obliquely referring to red-tapism in governmental affairs shadowing some of IIM-A's activities, he said ''a world class institute like IIM-A needs academic freedom to thrive.'' ''What the institute has achieved is by sheer effort and not by chance,'' he said.

Quoting Montgomerry, Mr Singhania said one can have liberty without discipline, but not discipline without liberty.

''I believe that IIM-A will play a crucial role in the future.

When founded, its objective was to provide a good MBA. After consolidation, it took up a larger role towards management support and after 1991, it freed resources from higher education to basic education. Today it is self-reliant,'' he added.

UNI