In order to give a fillip to management education, the All Indian Council for Technical Education (AICTE), often blamed for favouring engineering education, plans to create a special category of management professors.

The selected academicians will look into ways to improve the current status of Indian management education and match it with international standards.

The categorisation of professors -- distinguished professor, professor of eminence and national professor -- will be done over the next six months. The council plans to create a pool of 75 such professors.

The team of these professors will comprise 30 distinguished professors, 30 professors of eminence and 15 national professors.

"We don't have even 10 professors who can be compared with global management gurus in the US. Our idea is to create 75 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in the country through this team of professors. There are professors who have done great work in management education. We will pick and choose them. They will play mentors and role models in facilitating management education in the country," said a professor close to the development.

The AICTE will pay Rs 70,000, Rs 75,000 and Rs 80,000 per month to a distinguished professor, professor of eminence and national professor, respectively.

Interestingly, no management school in the country pays such salaries to its professors. The council has also set aside Rs 1.25 lakh for research in the management area.

While the selected professors will take up the new assignment with the AICTE, they will continue to serve their respective institutes.

"We are looking for professors who can improve management education in India. The AICTE has always been blamed for giving step-motherly treatment to management education. This effort on the council's part will facilitate the growth of management education," said an AICTE official.

The AICTE is considering nomination of professors only from private management institutes.

"Establishments like the Indian Institutes of Management and Indian Institutes of Technology are well funded by the government and are doing well in management education. We want to transform the private institutes into centres of excellence. This move will help us do that," the AICTE official said.

The AICTE will appoint a search committee to look into the papers published by these professors, their national and international honours and their membership on various corporate and academic boards.

"There is a lot happening in the corporate world that needs to be brought into the management curriculum. These professors will establish a close link with the corporates and keep updating the syllabus accordingly. We have to keep pace with the changing world if we need to make Indian management education world-class," the professor added.