QS Global 200 Business Schools Report 2012: IIMs feature in Asia Pacific top 10 list

The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have reason to cheer. The three IIMs at Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Calcutta have been listed among the top 10 in the Asia Pacific region in the recently released QS Global 200 Business Schools Report 2012. IIM-Ahmedabad is ranked second, IIM-Bangalore's rank is fifth and IIM-Calcutta is ranked eighth.

Indian School of Business has been ranked seventh, S P Jain Institute of Management and Research is at 16 and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade at 21.

INSEAD, Singapore is number one in the region for the third consecutive year. Melbourne  Business School (University of Melbourne, Australia), NUS Business School, (National University of Singapore) and University of New South Wales were some of the other institutes that featured among the top 10 in the region.

Throughout the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report, one theme in particular stands out: Indian business schools are fast gaining popularity among MBA employers. In almost all specialisation ratings, Indian schools have climbed considerably when compared to last year. This is even the case for international management, as while Indian business schools feature lower down the rating than they do in other specializations, they are still climbing and showing promise in developing a greater international outlook among their MBA graduates.

Ombudsman for higher education institutions

More news from HRD Minister Kapil Sibal’s chamber.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development will put in place a grievance redressal mechanism for students and applicants for admission in higher educational institutions. The framework will be implemented in all central universities, IITs, IIMs, NITS, IIITs, private and government-run deemed universities and all higher educational institutions under various Central government ministries.

Regulatory bodies such as the University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education and National Council for TeacherEducation would ask educational institutions to set up grievance redressal mechanisms.

KAPIL SIBAL: SETTING STANDARDS?

As part of the initiative, each institute would be required to appoint an ombudsman who would be a person with judicial or legal experience. In case the grievance relates to SCs/STs/OBCs or minorities, the ombudsman can co-opt a person of eminence from the weaker section to assist him in taking a decision. The institute would have to appoint him from a panel suggested by the affiliating university in case of technical and management institutions and the Central Government in case of deemed universities. “Non-compliance can lead to withdrawal of recognition,” Sibal states.

Applicants for admission and students can apply to the ombudsman for redressal of grievances and s/he would have to give the order within a month. According to Sibal, students have several grievances at the time of applying for admission that needs immediate redressal. Sibal indicated that even the Parliamentary standing committee, in its report on the bill to prohibit and punish unfair practices, had recommended setting up of grievance redressal frameworks.

Indian business schools: Best practices

Leading schools such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and the Indian School of Business are identifying best practices to help them benchmark with foreign schools and attract the best students and faculty.

Accreditation, evaluation and grading of programmes, as is the norm with business schools in the West, are a few of the things being considered.

International accreditation help students get their degrees recognised globally, while the business school is successful in securing more foreign partnerships and linkages.

The Indian School of Business (ISB) recently announced its accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), an US-based accreditation body.

Ajit Rangnekar, Dean, Indian School of Business said, “We are delighted to have received the prestigious AACSB accreditation, which is regarded as the hallmark of excellence in business education. The AACSB is unique because of its mission-driven approach, evaluating the applying schools against peer schools with similar missions.”

Other top Indian b-schools such as the IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore have received approval from European agency EQUIS. IIM Kozhikode has applied for accreditation from AMBA (Association of MBAs), a UK-based organisation.

According to media reports, even newer business schools such as the Chandigarh-based Aryans Business School have become members of the AACSB.