New Delhi: Nine months after it invited applications for the post, the government is yet to select the successor to the director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow, who retires on Sunday.

The human resource development (HRD) ministry issued advertisements inviting application for the post in December and interviewed at least five short-listed candidates in May.

Incumbent director Devi Singh's tenure ends Aug 24.

"Yes, more than 100 days have passed after that (the interview) but no final decision has been taken so far," a ministry official said requesting anonymity.

The official said that the selection committee on May 2 interviewed at least five short-listed candidates including Devi Singh (for a second term) and Dilip Kumar Bandopadhyaya, director of the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal.

The five-member search-cum-selection committee was headed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Nripendra Mishra and included Higher Education Secretary R.P. Aggarwal and J.J. Irani, chairman of the board of governors at IIM Lucknow.

The official said that though Devi Singh was the number one in merit list, "he lacks proper connections".

Asked if HRD Minister Arjun Singh's hospitalisation was coming in the way of a final decision, the official answered in the negative. The minister is recuperating from multiple health problems at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here for the last two weeks.

When contacted, Devi Singh said: "I have no idea (who my successor is or if I will get a second term). Since my term ends Sunday, I would like to know whom should I hand over the charge to."

He said that he had a fruitful stint as IIM Lucknow director. "I have lots of good memories with IIM Lucknow and will hand over charge with no remorse."

India has six IIMs at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Kozhikode and Indore. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced plans to set up seven more IIMs as part of his vision to boost higher education in the country. IANS