The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow, plans to increase the total number of seats for its post-graduate programme (PGP) from the next academic year. The institute has taken a decision to increase seat capacity from 370 to 425. The additional student intake is to accommodate the increased OBC (Other Backward Classes) quota system implemented by the ministry of human resource development.

Out of the 55 seats that will be added, 28 will go to the OBC category. As of now, there are 61 seats for OBCs at IIM-L’s PG programme, said Himanshu Rai, chairman (admissions), IIM-L. The institute has 190 seats in the general category. The rest is for Schedule castes, Schedule tribes and backward class students.

“For OBC intake, there will be 27 per cent increase in quota,” Devi Singh, director, IIM-L, said. The move is in accordance with the recommendations of the IIM review committee, which had asked all IIMs to increase their intake by 2011.

In addition, the institute is planning to increase the number of its faculty from 70 to 80 by the end of this year. “An increase in faculty with the increase in the students is a given,” Singh said.

“At IIMs it is easier for us to attract and retain faculty, but with the arrival of global business schools and dollar salaries, this advantage may not work,” he added.

“We will look at forging synergistic alliances with top global brands. We also propose to optimally utilise the Noida campus and make it a hub for executive training,” Singh said. He added that IIM-L will have two new centres of excellence for environment and sustainable development and policy research. It is also starting a PG course in finance with a dual degree arrangement with McGill University.

On pay controversy, he said, “We have made representations to the ministry to ensure that no faculty member suffers. We are committed to providing them with enough to maintain a decent standard of living.”