EPSI Delegation meets Pallam Raju on January 28 to discuss concerns about future of 300 PGDM B-schools

Given the regulatory flux in management education since December 2010, that has negatively impacted the growth of 300 PGDM institutions in the country, an EPSI delegation of top Directors & Deans from leading B-schools like XLRI, IMI, TAPMI, BIMTECH and Jaipuria B-school, met Union HRD Minister MMPallam Rajuon January 28. The delegation informed the minister about the regulatory challenges faced by PGDM B-schools, their need for autonomy to perform in a highly challenging and demanding environment, and sought MHRDs intervention to pave way for a better future of PGDM B-schools.

Union HRD Minister Dr MM Pallam Raju meets with EPSI delegation:EPSI President Dr G Viswanathan, Alt President Dr H Chaturvedi, Jaipuria Group Chairman Mr Sharad Jaipuria and other members of delegation share concerns

Union HRD Minister Dr Pallam Raju said he was aware of the challenges and asked for a formal representation from the delegation. EPSI is submitting a formal note to the Minister today,January 30.
While EPSI delegation was critical of AICTE on many counts, it was forthright in appreciatingAICTE and its Chairman Dr SS Mantha for introducing E-Governance in Annual Approval Process. This has promoted transparency, and speed in the process, the Directors said.

EPSI delegation was forthright in telling the Minister that today, owing to regulatory flux, the progress in 300 PGDM B-schools has virtually come to a standstill and they are unable to make any long term investments and plans.
On behalf of 300 PGDM B-schools, EPSI has made four representations in its letter datedJanuary 30to Minister Dr Pallam Raju:

- AICTE be reinstated as permanent regulator for Management & PGDM Education
- December 29 Notification by AICTE be withdrawn with immediate effect
- Legal validity of PGDM Diploma is ensured, in light of IIM University Bill
- The All India Board of Management Studies @ AICTE be empowered to deal with management policy

Dr Pallam Raju shares his views with XLRI Director Fr E Abraham and other directors
The delegation emphasized with the minister that the latest Supreme Court order gives AICTE powers to regulate PGDM institution only for Academic year 2014-15, and through a policy measure from MHRD, this should be extended to 2015 and beyond. The delegation was led by Dr G Viswanathan, Chancellor, VIT University and Dr H Chaturvedi, Alt President, EPSI and director, BIMTECH. Fr E Abraham, director, XLRI; Mr Sharad Jaipuria, chairman, Jaipuria Group of Institutions; Dr RC Natarajan, director, TAPMI; Dr B Metri, dean, IMI;Dr R Thakur, director, Jaipuria Institute, Noida and Mr Amit Agnihotri, chairman, MBAUniverse.com were part of the EPSI delegation.

In a meeting that lasted for more than 30 minutes, the delegation shared that PGDM B-schools were created on the lines of IIMs by MHRD, Government of India as independent Centers of Excellence. In last 50 years, they have met their promise by providing quality education to lakhs of students. Today, 300 PGDM B-schools stand for Quality Management Education and account for 75-80% of B-schools which are ranked as Top 100 B-schools in highly credible rankings published by Business Today, CNBC TV18, Outlook, MBAUniverse.com and NHRDN. Several PGDM institutes like XLRI, SPJain, MDI, IMI, IMT are ranked ahead of many IIMs. It was also shared that PGDM B-schools have created excellent leadersShri Jitin Prasada, Honble Minister Of State For Human Resource Development;Jaspal Bindra, Group Executive Director & CEO - Asia,Standard Chartered Bank;Rakesh Kapoor, chief executive ofReckitt Benckiser;B. Muthuraman, Vice-Chairman,Tata Steel; and Prasoon Joshi, National Films Awards winner, Script & Song writer.

Dr R C Natarajan, director, TAPMI & Mr Amit Agnihotri, chairman, MBAUniverse.com raise the concerns of PGDM B-schools with Union Minister
The delegation appraised the minster that since 1984, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), has framed policies for PGDM B-schools and they have abided by it. However, on December 29, 2010, AICTE issued a notification under which PGDM institution feared that their autonomy will be withdrawn. The institutions approach the Supreme Court in the matter. The Honble Supreme Court in its four interim orders issued on March 17, 2011, July 26, 2011, March 1, 2012 and August 28, 2013 has restored the status quo and stayed AICTE Notification.

PGDM institutions shared that in last 9 months, many key developments have happened, which are a further set back to PGDM Institutions. On April 25, 2013 the Honorable Supreme Court of India ordered that management education is no longer a part of AICTEs domain. Subsequently, onDecember 3, UGC issued a notification which attempted to bring PGDM B-schools into its ambit. On their protest, PGDM was excluded by UGC from its ambit. Given the regulatory vacuum, EPSI moved Honorable Supreme Court in January 2014 to advice who will regulate PGDM. Honorable Court asked AICTE if it had any objections to regulating PGDM. Upon AICTEs consent, Court ruled that AICTE be the regulator for Admissions 2014-15 academic year.

EPSI, along with other national bodies like AIMS, is expected to keep the pressure on the MHRD, and its agencies, to find answers to waxing issues that plague the growth of PGDM institutions, and Indian management education.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more details on this important development.