Ahmedabad, May 14 (IANS) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday that the IIMs can evolve into national assets that contribute significantly to India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by nurturing innovation ecosystems and adapting to emerging global challenges.

Chairing a meeting of the Coordination Forum of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in Ahmedabad, Pradhan led discussions on the role of IIMs in shaping Viksit Bharat 2047, focusing on student welfare, institutional coordination, academic excellence, innovation, and global competitiveness.

He said the IIMs have emerged as strong catalysts of nation-building and economic transformation, while also becoming global models of excellence in leadership and management education.

The meeting was convened by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE), at the IIM Ahmedabad campus, said an official statement.

The participants brainstormed on critical issues, including IIMs’ contribution towards Viksit Bharat goals and aligning the focus of UG entrance examinations with futuristic requirements, it said.

The meeting brought together the Chairpersons of the Boards of Governors of IIMs, the Directors of IIMs, and senior officials from the Department of Higher Education and the State Governments of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh to deliberate on matters of shared interest and to strengthen cooperation among the IIMs.

Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi highlighted the importance of the Coordination Forum in strengthening collaboration and institutional coordination among IIMs.

The deliberations covered critical issues such as IIMs’ contribution towards Viksit Bharat goals, aligning the focus of UG entrance examinations with the country’s futuristic requirements, and developing SOPs for MBA admissions, along with inter-IIM student migration, said the statement.

The Minister also led discussions on fee refund policies, developing a policy to provide exposure to young faculty and young IIMs through secondment policies across IIMs, and implementing reservation rosters for faculty and non-faculty, said the statement.

–IANS

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