Although it sounds deceptively like the MBA-equivalent post-graduate diploma awarded by autonomous institutions such as the Indian institutes of Management (IIMs) or SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, in reality the University of Puneas PGDBM is not at all at par with a Post Graduate or Masteras degree as commonly recognized in the Indian education system. Why? Because for one, University of Puneas PGDBM will not enable you to pursue higher doctoral studies. Moreover, this course has relaxed eligibility criteria which even allow a class XII failed student to pursue it.
As of now, senior DINA officials including four members of the family backing the institute have been named in the complaint which charges the officials with the offences of cheating and forgery. The 17 student complainants alleged that the institute officials cheated them by misrepresenting the PGDBM as a fulltime MBA equivalent degree. Reacting to the development, DINAas Executive Director Ajit Kumar Oberoi along with five other officials (including family members) named in the case filed a plea for anticipatory bail on March 4, 2009, which was rejected by a Pune sessions court on March 23.
Apart from DINA, many Pune based management institutes such as MIT School of Management (MITSoM), Suryadutta Institute of Management and Research (SIMR) and Prestige College of Management and Technology too offer the PGDBM course in affiliation with the University of Pune. The Universityas official documents do not specify the PGDBM course to be a part time program. Prestige College of Management and Technology specifies the PGDBM course it offers to be a full time program while MITSoM and SIMR list the course as a part time program. DINA has described the PGDBM to be a fulltime program and a degree equivalent to MBA in marketing emails and pamphlets issued by the institute. Several other business schools in and around Pune offer this course in various forms, though none of them are equivalent to an MBA degree.
The PGDBM eligibility criteria enable Engineering Diploma holders from a Board of Technical Education of any state or central government to apply to the course. It may be noted that the eligibility criteria for Engineering Diplomas is passing Senior Secondary Certificate (class X), including the ones offered by the Directorates of Technical Education of state governments. In India, a Bacheloras degree is the minimum eligibility required to apply for a Masteras degree in management.
aThe two year PGDBM course under the University of Pune is not equivalent to the post graduate diplomas in management provided by institutions such as the IIMs. A graduate of this course cannot enroll for a PhD at the University of Pune,a said a high placed official in the management department of the University. The University specified eligibility requirements for Ph.D state that applicants are required to hold a full-fledged Masteras degree.
PaGaLGuY.com has also learnt that IIMs too do not accept graduates of a university affiliated PGDBM course for their doctoral program called Fellow Program in Management (FPM). An applicant to this course is required to be a holder of a post graduate degree. Graduates of MBA programs conducted by universities or holders of post graduate diplomas in management from autonomous institutions may apply to the FPM course provided at various IIMs.
When asked to clarify on the issue, DINAas Executive Director Ajit Kumar Oberoi said, aThe PGDBM program under University of Pune is equivalent to an MBA in terms of course content, job opportunities and competencies provided. I cannot comment on whether a PGDBM graduate is eligible for a PhD as eligibility criteria vary across institutions. The University allows holders of Bacheloras degree as well as diplomas from technical institutions to enroll for this course. It appears that the University equates the two.a
DINA is also mired in a parallel controversy over the fees charged for PGDBM. While other institutes such as Suryadatta Institute of Management and Information Research, Pune charges Rs 50,000 and Prestige College of Management and Technology charges Rs 40,000 for two years, DINA charges Rs 2.75 lakh for the same duration. This matter was brought up in a University meeting, where as per a Mid-Day Pune report, Mr Oberoi nearly assaulted the universityas Dean of Management Department Mr CM Chitale. As of now, the Universityas Vice Chancellor Narendra Jadhav has instituted an enquiry committee to investigate the cheating in fees.