IIM Ahmedabad awaits ministry's directive

Ahmedabad, Apr 23: Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, will await the Human Resource Development Ministry's directive for the release of admission list for the academic year 2007-09 following dismissal of Centre's application seeking to vacate the stay on OBC quota by Supreme Court.

However, IIM-A Director Dr Bakul Dholakia said, ''Though we have not seen today's Supreme court order and came to know about it through the media we are awaiting the directive from the ministry in this regard.'' He said, ''Now the picture is clear. We need to have consultation with other IIMs before finalising any decision with regard to the release of admission lists.'' ''We have already lost ten days in the process of admissions but the academic year can still be started as per schedule provided there is no further delay in the process,'' he added.

The six Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) have decided to defer the admission process for PGP 2007-09 batch following a directive from the Ministry of Human Resources dated April 19 warning them against any ''unilateral'' decision until the resolution of quota issue.

On March 29, the Supreme Court had stayed the 27 per cent quota for OBC students citing lack of data of the said section of society.

However, the HRD ministry had filed a review petition in the court following which the case had been listed for hearing today.

A Division Bench of the apex court, while rejecting the Centre's review petition observed, ''After hearing the learned parties, we find no reason to interfere with our order dated March 29, 2007'', and dismissed the Centre's application seeking to vacate the stay on providing 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in admission to Centrally-run educational institutions of higher studies.

UNI