Former University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman M Jagadish Kumar has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kolkata, the Union Education Ministry said. Kumar will hold office for a period of four years or until he reaches the age of 74, whichever comes first.
In an order dated March 5, the ministry said that in exercise of powers conferred under the provisions of the IIM Calcutta Act, 2017, the President of India, in her capacity as a visitor to IIM Calcutta, nominated Kumar as Chairman of the Board of Directors of IIM Calcutta. The order stated that the nomination becomes effective from the date he assumes responsibility.
Kumar served as UGC president from February 2022 to April 2026, when he retired at the age of 65. In January 2026, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions to literature and education.
Kumar served as Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) from January 2016 to February 2022. He was a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.
IIM Calcutta Director Alok Kumar congratulated Kumar. “His experience as a professor at IIT Delhi, vice-chancellor of JNU and president of UGC will help the institute scale new heights,” he told X.
The BoG of IIMs acts as the principal executive body and top management authority under the IIM Act, 2017. It exercises overall supervision, direction and control over the affairs of the institute, and takes key policy decisions on management, academic performance and overall operations.
