Letters to the editor

IIMs and us• PRATAP BHANU MEHTA’S article, ‘Lessons in unreason’ (IE, April 25), is something with which I am in complet...

IIMs and us

• PRATAP BHANU MEHTA’S article, ‘Lessons in unreason’ (IE, April 25), is something with which I am in complete agreement. However, the law takes a contrary view. There can be no question that our six IIMs, led by IIM, Ahmedabad, are centres of excellence. It is also true that each has a board of governors, headed by a chairman of international calibre. But, legally, they are bound, hand and foot, to the government of the day.

All managements, the world over, succeed when they can make a distinction between what is possible, and what is ideal. Luckily, we in India have a judiciary which can interpret the law, against the will of the legislature or the executive. The Supreme Court’s decision is constitutionally valid and binding on the executive. As a bunch of practical people, the IIM directors chose to wait until the Supreme Court’s decision came.They had no alternative. IIMs have not “succumbed” to the government. They have chosen to wait. It is a “management choice”, wise and valid, despite Mehta’s opinion to the contrary.

— Parimal Y. Mehta, Baroda

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• THE excellent article by Pratap Bhanu Mehta (IE, April 25) rightly highlights the rot which has set into our world class institutions. But it is also extremely surprising that the same set of IIM directors, aided by the media, had vehemently opposed Murli Manohar Joshi’s proposal of reducing IIM fees during NDA rule. Now they meekly surrender to the present government’s diktat. This reflects the biased mindsets of the people who head these temples of learning. Such biases are dangerous for the future of such institutions which should be politically neutral. I also wonder why all those people who had criticised the HRD ministry then are silent today about what is happening to these institutions.

— Prasad Lele, Baroda

Mani-fold queries

• THE article by Mani Shankar Aiyar (IE, April 24) revealed the strain he is under. What was his contribution as petroleum minister? The removal of the ONGC chairman? The inclusion of political leaders as directors on the boards of IOC, HPCL and BPCL? Removing Veer Savarkar’s quotes from the premises of the cellular jail in the Andamans? Aiyar’s contention that the Rs 7,000 crore required for the Asiad is a waste of money shows him in poor light. When the star wars programmes were started in the US, no one had any idea as to their gains. Today we are witness to the gains these programmes have brought to humanity, in terms of medical technology, automation, robotics, fluidics, electronics, NC/CNC technology, PLC controls, atomic energy, and so on. Similarly, events such as Asiad 1982 brought us infrastructure and developed the skills and business acumen of Indians.

— S.G. Shevade, Delhi

House that?

• IT is a matter of great shame that more than 25 per cent of our MPs are criminals (‘Focus back on MPs with criminal past’, IE, April 26). Recently it has been stated that because of a few black sheep, the entire Parliament cannot be condemned. Probably we are waiting for the day when criminals will account for more than 50 per cent of the House to qualify for condemnation!

—N.N. Srivastava, New Delhi