'I have been misquoted,' says IIMA director Dholakia

Ahmedabad, Aug 8 (UNI) Reacting to media reports that the IIM-A Director had flayed the Central government's interference in the autonomy of institutions, particularly institutions of higher learning, Dr Bakul Dholakia said he was ''misquoted and misrepresented''.

The media reports had also stated that he was peeved over the Central government's decision to invite applications for the post of director through advertisements in newspapers for the three IIMs of Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kolkata.

Addressing mediapersons here at the IIM-A campus, Dr Dholakia said ''I clarify that none of what I said yesterday referred to advertisement. I personally don't think that issuing an advertisement (by the HRD ministry) by itself is a problem. This is a standard practice.'' ''I have been misquoted and misrepresentated,'' he said.

The reports quoting Dr Dholakia had said ''Where is the freedom as far as educational institutions are concerned? About 60 to 70 per cent members on the board of institutions like the IIMs are government appointees.'' In his clarification to the media today, the IIM-A director affirmed that it was the prerogative of Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) of HRD Ministry to clear all appointments. Since directors of IIMs are appointed by the ACC all processes have to apply.

''What I said was that there should be a consultative process.

There is no reason why consultative process should not run concurrently with the application process,'' he said.

''After the advertisements appeared (in the press for the directors post early this month), I talked to concerned HRD officials like Joint Secretary and others and they had clarified that the advertisement did not ''preclude'' nominations.'' ''I myself have received nominations not necessarily for IIM but for other posts,'' he said, adding that ''I have never spoken about the 2007 process as it is identical with the 2002 process of selction. The only change between the two is the advertisement.'' UNI