Date:02/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/02/stories/2004070206041100.htm

National

Murli Manohar Joshi defends IIM move

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 1. The former Minister for Human Resource Development, Murli Manohar Joshi, today defended his attempt to force the Indian Institutes of Management to drastically lower their fees.

Dr. Joshi said he wanted to prevent the "commercialisation of education" and denied that under his stewardship the Ministry had tried to dilute the autonomy of the IIMs or in any way interfere with their day-to-day functioning.

All state-funded public institutions charged fees between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 30,000 for the Master of Business Administration course or for post-graduate diplomas in Business Management. Moreover, even self-financing management schools charged about Rs. 30,000 only. Why should Government-financed institutions be allowed to charge five times more, he asked.