IIMs to up doctoral programme intake

AHMEDABAD: Even as attracting faculty gets tougher by the day, IIM think-tanks are mulling over a proposal to increase the intake for doctoral programmes at all institutes. The doctoral programme, known as Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) is aimed at creating competence in teaching and research management education, and practice.

Part of the M Veerappa Moily Committee, the core group of management institutions, which comprises the six IIMs and National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai, has already suggested that intake of FPM students should be increased in all the institutes. More, the institutes which do not offer the programme should start the courses.

Currently, IIM-A, IIM-B, IIM-C and IIM-Indore offer the course. IIMs at Kozhikode and Lucknow do not run the FPM programme. While some institutes have an intake of two, some admit over 15 FPM doctoral students every year.

“We have suggested that FPM intake should be increased up to 25 students at all institutes,” Samuel Paul, former IIM-A director, who heads the core group told ET. He said extending retirement age from 62 years to 65 is not the permanent solution.

“Such a move would solve the problem in a short run. But we have to think long term,” he said. The core group has also recommended setting up three new IIMs across the country, preferably at locations where it is easy to attract and retain good faculty. Besides, the group has also recommended that institutes should be given more flexibility with regards to the pay-scales.

With a demand to raise the total intake of students, the top three IIMs have decided to raise the total faculty by over 20% to about 275-285 from the current level of 230. IIM-A plans to raise its faculty by 20, within the next 18 to 24 months and by another 20 in the following three years.

IIM-C plans to raise its faculty strength from the current 70 to 85-90 while IIM-B wants to raise its total faculty by 10-15 over the next two years.