Review of Autonomous Bodies: FTII to Corporatized, IIMC to be Part of Jamia or JNU

The government of India has planned “corporatization” of three important institutions of the country, the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and the Delhi Public Library and has also decided to merge the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) with either Jamia Millia Islamia or Jawaharlal Nehru University under the first phase of its review of autonomous bodies.

The review of the existing 699 autonomous bodies began in the month of January this year with those institutes represented under the Societies Registration Act. The first phase included 114 institutes across seven ministries.

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The phase concluded declaring 42 bodies (almost one-third) for “reduction” by being merged or being restructured under a common umbrella or by being wound up or being corporatized. Of these 42 institutes, 24 of them under the Societies Registration Act will collaborate under a common umbrella. While 11 bodies will be integrated with other entities, three institutes will be given chance for a corporate makeover and rest four will be shut down.

The review committee which is led by officials of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the NITI Aayog choose the ministries or departments with maximum autonomous bodies having a high share of central assistance for the first phase.

PMO officials told that the “corporatisation” of the three listed institutes could lead them to become independent companies or a special purpose vehicle (SPV) is likely be formed soon to incorporate them and manage their functioning.

The estimated central assistance received by 679 autonomous bodies across 68 ministries is Rs. 72,206 crore as per the 2017-18 annual budget.

Recommendations by the review committee:

• The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), the Indian Council for Philosophical Research and the Indian Council of Historical Research under the Human Resource Development Ministry are listed either to club under the ICSSR umbrella or to merge with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
• The National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language, New Delhi - another body under the Human Resource Development Ministry is proposed to be merged with the Regional Centres of the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) in Mysore or with the University.
• The committee has suggested merging the Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies with the Asiatic Society or with any other reputed university.
• In the review list for autonomous bodies, the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, New Delhi is set to be merged with either the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANU) or with Jamia Millia Islamia.
• The Children’s Film Society of India under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is planned to merge with the Films Division under the same ministry.

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NITI Aayog has scheduled a review committee meeting in this month to initiate its second phase. It is likely to cover other ministries or departments with the bodies under the Societies Registration Act. The second phase of the review is expected to come up with a new approach for establishing Centres of Excellence and Institutes of Higher Learning. The third phase will cover all the rest of the ministries or departments and also those institutes which not formed under the Societies Registration Act.