Govt justifies newspaper ads for filling up post of IIM directors

New Delhi, Sep 10 (UNI) The government today said it had invited applications through advertisements for filling up the vacancies of Directors of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) at Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kolkata to ''ensure broad-based and transparent procedure.

In addition, letters have also been sent to eminent educationists, industrialists and heads of institutes to recommend suitable persons for the post of Director for consideration of the Search-cum-Selection Committee.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Human Resource Development D Purandeswari said certain concerns were raised in the media and a section of faculty of these institutes over the inviting of applications through newspaper advertisements.

Ms Purandeswari, however, clarified that there had been no change in the established procedure of selection of the directors and the Search-cum-Selection Committee could consider and recommend the name of any suitable candidate for the post of Director of IIMs.

''Such a candidate need not have necessarily applied against the open press advertisement,'' she pointed out.

The minister said the Director of an IIM is appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on the basis of recommendation of the Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted for this purpose.

UNI