Union minister Arjun Singh unveils a plaque after laying the foundation stone of the seventh IIM at Mayurbhanj Complex, Shillong, in December 2007.

“Some members have suggested that the name of the IIM, preceded by Rajiv Gandhi, is a dilution of the name of the prestigious institute,” chief minister Donkupar Roy told the Assembly today.

Ironically, the matter was raised in the Assembly by a Congress member, Prestone Tynsong.

He said during a discussion on the Governor’s address that the other six IIMs in the country were not named after any personality and the seventh IIM, the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM), should be known as IIM Shillong.

He said students might feel that the RGIIM was a diluted form of the real IIM.

Agreeing to the suggestion, Roy said his government would take up the matter with the ministry for Union human resource development. “IIM is a brand name and calling it RGIIM will be diluting the institute. The suggestion is accepted and the issue will be taken up with the appropriate authority in Delhi.”

Meghalaya PCC president O.L. Nongtdu said the suggestion for the change in name was Tynsong’s “personal opinion and not that of the party”.

“In fact, the party’s state leadership had suggested that late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s name be added to the IIM in Shillong and the Centre had agreed,” he added.

The foundation stone of the IIM had been laid by Union HRD minister Arjun Singh on December 1 last year. He had assured the people of the state that the institute would be on a par with the other IIMs of the country. As to the prefix, he had simply said that Rajiv Gandhi had contributed a lot to the Northeast and there was nothing unusual in naming the institute after the late Prime Minister.

Congress sources said most members of the PCC were unhappy with the development. “This is the first time that the name issue has actually come up for discussion in the House. Had we been in power, things would have been different,” one of them said.

The Congress-led coalition government in the state had lost power to the NCP-led alliance in the Assembly election in March this year. Roy, the incumbent chief minister, was one of the two deputy chief ministers in the erstwhile government.

Classes at the new IIM will start by June-end at its temporary campus at Nongthymmai here with 60 students who will be shortlisted this month.

Courtesy: The Telegraph