New Delhi: Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi today (Feb 5, 2004) asserted there was no question of taking away the autonomy of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) by reducing the fees for courses in them.

"These institutions have been made by us and we manage only them. There is no question of snatching their autonomy," Joshi told Aaj Tak.

Replying to a question, he said there was no connection between fees and the quality of education provided by the institutes.

"Had it been so, if I were to hike fees by four times, would the quality also go up by four times?" Joshi asked.

Asked if lowering the fees was decided keeping in mind the coming Lok Sabha polls, he said, "We are not taking decisions based on electoral considerations. We are taking decisions keeping in mind the benefit of the public."

Asked about the financial impact of fees cut on IIMs, Joshi said, "We have already said that we will take full responsibility. We have formed a committee which will tell us about their expenditure and how much is the gap and we will meet the gap."