The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Ministry flayed for IIMB decision

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 13, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Ministry flayed for IIMB decision

Staff Reporter

`Government has failed to recognise the genius of Indians'

Bangalore: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal on Thursday criticised the Ministry of Human Resource Development for denying permission to the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), to open a campus in Singapore, and said the Government had failed to recognise the "genius of Indians."

Mr. Sibal was here for the unveiling of an interactive digital map developed by Microsoft Research.

Quoting Infosys Chairman and Chief Mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy's views on reforms in higher education, he said: "Universities should be allowed to operate with autonomy sans Government interference. A lot of my people in Government differ about the request being turned down, and it's a reflection of what I read in newspapers this morning." The Human Resource Development Ministry has turned down IIMB's request to open a campus in Singapore and said prestigious business schools should meet the domestic demand.

Mr. Sibal said the challenge ahead for governments was to tap the phenomenal potential of those with talent. "It's very important to release (higher) educational institutions from the control of the Government", but this did not mean opening up education to exploitation, added.

Tight-lipped

Meanwhile, sources at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, remained tight-lipped on the reports about the Ministry of Human Resource and Development turning down their request.

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