New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial hearing in the Supreme Court tomorrow, the Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore (IIM-B) today (April 15, 2004) followed IIM-Ahmedabad in defying the Human Resources Development Ministry's decision to drastically reduce the fees of the business school and said it would continue to charge Rs 1.5 lakhs from its students.

In an affidavit before the apex court, IIM-B said of the total fee of Rs 1.52 lakhs charged from the students, it would appropriate Rs 30,000 and keep the rest in a separate non-lien account till the apex court decided the issue raised by a PIL (public interest litigation).

The court had revived hearing on the disposal of PIL after the Centre refused to give a commitment not to tinker with the "autonomy" of the premier business schools though it had given an oral undertaking that reduction of the fees would not amount to interference with the functioning of the IIMs.

However, the court had made it clear that before going into the issue raised by the PIL litigants, it would test their locus standi to challenge the February 5 decision of the Ministry reducing the fees from Rs 1.5 lakhs to Rs 30,000.

IIM-A had filed an affidavit before the apex court on April 13 stating that it would continue to charge Rs 1.58 lakhs from each student appropriating Rs 30,000 of it for the institution and keeping the rest in a non-lien account.

It had said that reduction of fees would not help the poor but provide a subsidy to the children of rich parents and added that the decision, prima facie, was a threat to the autonomy of the IIMs, which have acquired a reputation of excellence.