HRD Ministry Raises Objections on 1-Year Executive MBA Programmes Offered by IIMs

Abhinav Chamoli

Updated On: March 06, 2020 12:31 pm IST

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has raised concerns on the 1-year MBA courses offered by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The IIMs, however, insist that they are just following the IIM Act.

HRD Ministry's Objections on 1-Year Executive MBA Programmes Offered by IIMs

The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have started offering 1 year executive MBA degree programmes in India after being granted autonomy under the IIM Act. However, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has raised objections against these courses, citing that there is no provision for a 1-year degree course under the guidelines specified by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The 1-year Executive MBA courses are currently being offered by the IIM Ahmedabad (IIM A), the IIM Bangalore (IIM B) and the IIM Calcutta (IIM C). An official of the HRD ministry has raised concerns that this may set a wrong example in front of other MBA colleges in India and may prompt other B-Schools in India to start offering 1-year MBA degrees as well, which might lead to legal and other repercussions.

Also Read:CAP 2020: The Common Admission Process of IIMs

The IIMs were provided an autonomous status under the IIM Act, which empowered them to grant degrees. Earlier the institutes were only offering Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) courses, which could be 1-year duration, as per the guidelines specified by UGC. However, after being granted autonomous status, the IIMs started offering degrees for 1-year courses despite objections being raised by the government.

1-year Executive MBA courses are commonly offered in foreign institutions that follow the 4+1 system of higher education. However, the 3+2 system of education is followed in India and UGC has set the minimum duration of a postgraduate degree in India as 2 years. Students who have completed a 5-year course are also eligible to receive a postgraduate degree after completing the course. These 1-year MBA degree courses offered by IIMs are a contradiction to these guidelines.

Also Read:MBA Admission Process: Last Date, Eligibility, Selection, Colleges

In response, the IIMs state their authority under the IIM Act as the justification behind the course or deny any opposition from the HRD Ministry.

IIM Ahmedabad has cited its powers under clause 7(f) of the IIM Act, which grants the institutes the power to grant degrees and diplomas when asked about the course. Sources from IIM Calcutta were also quoted as saying that their diploma programme was renamed after approval from the Board of Governors and in accordance with the IIM Act.

On the other hand, IIM Bangalore has rejected the premise that the HRD ministry is opposed to the institutes offering these courses.

In this scenario, it is unclear if UGC will come up with specific degree-granting guidelines for the IIMs or will the institutes be forced to change their offerings.

Also Read:Common GD Topics in MBA Admissions

Stay tuned to CollegeDekho for the latest news and updates regarding MBA in India.

-written with inputs from ThePrint.

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