The Ministry of Human Resource Development on Wednesday made key appointments at two Indian Institutes of Management, hours before the IIM Act came into effect, The Indian Express reported.

It is significant to note the timing of the appointments because the IIM Act gives the business schools the authority to choose their own Board of Governors, who in turn choose the directors.

Dean of faculty and economics professor Errol D’Souza was appointed the new director of IIM-Ahmedabad, and Executive Chairperson of the Murugappa Group AV Vellayan will take charge as the chairman of the Board of Governors at IIM-Kozhikode. D’Souza was chosen from among three finalists, whereas Vellayan had Apollo Tyres Chairperson Onkar S Kanwar and Cognizant CEO Lakshmi Narayanan as contenders for the post.

The IIM Act reduces the government’s interference in the functioning of the IIMs, provides the institutes full autonomy and allows them to grant degrees. While financial transactions at the institutes will be subject to scrutiny by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the government will no longer oversee appointments to the Board of Governors or directors.