The Centre has scrapped a panel of names recommended by IIM Bangalore’s board of governors (BoG) for the post of director after sitting on it for over six months, forcing the institute to run on ad hoc leadership.

The education ministry last month told the B-school to start the process afresh, official sources said. The sources said education minister Dharmendra Pradhan rejected the three names proposed by the BoG.

In March last year, IIM Bangalore issued an advertisement for the post and recommended three names to the education ministry in June.

The BoG had expected the new director to be appointed before the regular director, Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan, demitted office in June 2025, for a smooth transition.

The file containing the proposed names kept sitting on Pradhan’s desk. Prof. U. Dinesh Kumar has been discharging the responsibility as in-charge director since Krishnan completed his term.

Sources said the government did not indicate any reason behind scrapping the names.

“It is a perception that in-charge directors are there to manage the institute temporarily. The in-charge director is more likely to defer critical decisions. But the regular director gets a five-year term and is more likely to have a clear vision to lead the institute in all aspects,” said a faculty member.

A retired bureaucrat said the appointment process should take one or two weeks after the search panel submits the names. “In recent years, appointments have been delayed by months. There is no justification for such delay,” he said.