IMPARD in a mess

The mess at the Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD) has been created by succumbing to one after another miscalculated schemes and programmes. Without a clear vision of what the objectives are and without engaging expert consultancy in bringing about any change in the structure it is not surprising that the institute has landed in a mess. If IMPA was tasked with providing training and building capacities of different categories of officers and public representatives what was the rationale of asking it to hosts State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) established and funded by the Union Ministry of Rural Development with separate financial management. Why did not the State Government heed to the advice of the Rural Development Ministry of the Union Government to separate SIRD from IMPA? Instead of throwing the advice of the Union Ministry to wind, the State Government should have entered into academic discussion with the Government of India and underscored the merits of clubbing SIRD with IMPA leading to the formation of IMPARD.
Secondly, it seems that reorganization of IMPARD has been done in a haphazard manner that defies logic of entire exercise. The authorities did not foresee what impact the process of change would have on the faculties already functioning in the organization. The most important thing in an academic institute like this is to see to it that there is complete harmony among the faculty members and that no cause of rivalry or bad blood is given to them. We also learn that the shifting of faculties had no rationale because new placements of faculties did not take into account the imperative of expertise and specialization of the faculty concerned in the new branch. In simpler words it was putting square pegs in round holes. The important issue is that faculty members with particular specialization have not automatically gone to corresponding Centre of Excellence where their background, research and learning could be effectively utilized. It is intriguing why the Government paid no serious attention to the communication of the last Vice-Chairman and Director General of IMPARD that outlines the methodology of reorganization of the institute. This institute is in a mess and the Chief Secretary is duty bound to set this disordered house in order because he is chairing the IMPA sub-committee.

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