The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) had said they would announce their merit list on April 21 since they couldn’t keep admissions on hold just because the Government wasn’t sure of what the Supreme Court would do with its stay order on the new law bringing in 27 per cent OBC quotas. But the Government has armtwisted them into doing just the opposite.

Threatening a fund squeeze, reminding them of their poor record in implementing SC/ST quotas and even breaking their ranks, the Human Resource Development Ministry has got the IIMs to postpone the admission process.

Ironically, the IIMs’ decision to hold on to their list came today when the six IIM directors — in an attempt to avert a showdown with the government — were supposed to meet in New Delhi and decide on their next step.

In a fresh circular to these IIM directors late last night, HRD Joint Secretary (Technical Education) Ravi Mathur wrote: “Any unilateral decision by any Central educational institutions will would be a violation of the said communication (referring to the April 5 circular in which the IIMs were told to put their lists on hold).”

Mathur, who is the HRD Ministry’s representative in the governing bodies of all six IIMs, said: “The Central Government is equally concerned with the problems in the short-term that may be faced by the institutions and some sections of students due to the delay in issuing offers of admission, and is taking all steps necessary to facilitate admissions of all sections of students in the Central educational institutions at the earliest.”

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