The Education Ministry has clarified that the fellowship programme in management (FPM) offered by seven leading Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) is equivalent to a PhD degree. This degree is also accepted for high-level government positions and services under the central government. The five-year FPM programme is designed for full-time doctoral students who wish to conduct extensive research in a variety of fields, including public policy, finance, accounting, and economics.
"In view of certain references regarding the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) offered in the field of Management Education by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), this is to clarify that this program is equivalent to the Ph.D. (Doctoral) degree awarded by recognized Indian universities for the purpose of employment in superior posts and services under the Central government in the appropriate field," the circular released by the Education Ministry stated.
At present, the doctoral degree is offered by seven IIMs in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore, and the newly upgraded IIM Mumbai. Following the enactment of the IIM Act in 2017, other IIMs also gained the authority to offer doctoral degree programmes.
IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore launched their PhD programme in 2005 and 2017, respectively, while the top IIMs have been offering this course since 1986. In 1975, IIM Ahmedabad became the first institution to launch the management fellowship programme.