Certain members of the faculty and governing body of IIMs have taken exception to the exodus of teaching faculty from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong, one of the new IIMs. They are planning to take it up with the human resource development ministry and press for implementation of the recommendations of the IIM review committee.

At IIM Shillong, half of the faculty members have put in their papers following differences with its director Ashoke Dutta.

IIM Shillong chairman RN Datta, however, has defended the director. Datta told Financial Chronicle, “There is nothing extraordinary or abnormal in people leaving or joining any organisation. All I can say is, the director’s appointment was not done by any individual. It was done by a selection panel and through a process. The faculty and students’ community are quite happy and are aligned with the director.”

“It’s worth talking to the HRD ministry to put a tough guy as the next chairman,” said a member of the IIM Calcutta faculty, requesting anonymity.

IIM Calcutta governing body member Roopen Roy said: “There should be exemplary governance in IIMs, otherwise the IIM brand will be diluted. I think IIM Shillong needs a board and a chairman who is well-known and experienced.”

IIM Shillong started its first session in July, 2008, with 13 faculty members. At least six of them resigned recently, though some officials at IIM Shillong said some of them were asked to leave. Questions are also being raised about Dutta not being a PhD and having surpassed the retirement age.

The IIM review committee headed by RC Bhargava has recommended that the director of each IIM be selected and appointed by the respective board, with the conditions of service being approved by the pan-IIM board.

The committee said the excellence of every institution or company is invariably shaped by the CEO and the board of directors. If IIMs have not performed as well as they should have in some areas, it is necessary to take a close look at the roles played by the directors of the IIMs and their boards, the committee said.

Even while the establishment at IIM Shillong is pretending to ignore it, the controversy does not seem to be dying.