Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said that post-graduate student intake at the Indian Institutes of Manage will likely be doubled in the next few years. His announcement came after meeting the institutes’ directors in Shillong, and follows the government also asking the Indian Institutes of Technology to increase student intake.

Javadekar reportedly asked the IIM directors to submit plans on increasing student admission, and said, “We have decided to increase the intake capacity of students from 10,000 to 20,000 so that more students will get opportunity to take part in these best institutes. All (IIM) Directors have also narrated how they are ready for how much expansion and if there are problems they will mention it and submit action plans on expansion of students’ intake.”

The minister also asked the institutes to consider expanding their doctoral programmes, and said the government would come up with a fellowship scheme to promote the PhDs. The 19 IIMs currently admit around 3,700 students to their flagship programme every year, Mint reported.