Key Points

The Bill, which seeks to amend the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017, to include IIM Guwahati as an institute of national importance, was introduced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid a charged atmosphere and repeated disruptions. The House reassembled at 4 PM following three earlier adjournments. BJP MP Dilip Saikia took the chair and initiated proceedings. Minister Pradhan moved that the Bill be taken into consideration and also sought its passage.

As the chair called for a voice vote, Opposition members kept on shouting slogans and raised objections. In response, Saikia remarked, “The state of Assam will have an IIM and you are saying no,” before proceeding to declare the Bill passed.

The move to establish IIM Guwahati stems from a Memorandum of Settlement signed between the Centre, the Assam government, and representatives of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), aimed at accelerating development in the region. The Bill provides for a corpus fund of Rs 555 crore over five years, after which the institute is expected to be financially self-sustaining through internal accruals.

IIM-Guwahati will get a corpus fund of Rs 555 crore for five years (2025–26 to 2029–30). “After five years, no additional support shall be extended to the Institute since by, end of such period, the IIM-Guwahati shall be generating enough revenue through its own internal accruals,” the Bill said.

The passage of the Bill without debate drew criticism from Opposition benches, who had been protesting earlier in the day over issues including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Despite the protests, the government pushed through its legislative agenda, citing the developmental significance of the new IIM for Assam and the Northeast.

With the inclusion of IIM Guwahati, the total number of IIMs designated as institutes of national importance under the Act rises to 22. The new institute will operate under the mentorship of IIM Ahmedabad, with classes expected to begin this year from a temporary campus. A permanent campus is planned at Palasbari in Kamrup district.

Following the passage of the Bill, the House was adjourned until Wednesday. The abrupt conclusion of proceedings and lack of discussion on the Bill have raised questions about legislative transparency and the space for deliberation in Parliament’s functioning.

- IANS