Another of CFD’s proposals, to include other non-management courses in the syllabus, is being debated internally where the institute is mulling over providing a collaborative multi disciplinary education to the students.

“The word ‘university’ was used to mean that we could look at teaching several other disciplines and not evolve as a university ourselves, as it was misunderstood,” he said, refuting reports that speculated that IIM-A was to evolve into a university. The institute plans to either setting up its own infrastructure or network with institutes having expertise in law, economics and other institutional sciences to offer joint programmes, he said.

Amid reports that the Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, has removed the chair set up in IIM-A by her predecessor Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, Prof Barua said that they had received no intimation on this, and if such was the case, then they would appeal to the Ministry.

The contract between the Railway Board and IIM-A was for a period of five years with Prof G. Raghuram heading it for three years. The funding was to be Rs 11 lakh in the first year, Rs 12 lakh in the second and Rs 13 lakh and Rs 14 lakh in the third and fourth years respectively based on pre-Sixth Pay Commission norms.

The setting up of a satellite campus at Hyderabad has also become uncertain with the demise of the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and the institute will adopt a wait and watch policy for the Andhra Pradesh Government to take the proposal forward, he added.