Prof. R.S. Sirohi (Vice-Chancellor, Invertis University) tells us about The Barriers between Education and Students in Rural India

Continued....Lack of trained faculty is another impediment according to Prof. Sirohi. He says faculty crunch is a serious issue in many institutions, including Invertis, which is taking vigorous steps to address the problem. “As the university is not situated in a big city, lecturers and professors are apprehensive about joining Invertis (approx. 250 kms from Lucknow),” he tells as a matter of fact. Also, majority of students come from rural areas and lack basic communication skills. Therefore at Invertis, there are training cells for both students and faculty, he says and feels that developing soft skills is one of the most difficult parts of training.

Invertis organises a host of programmes like debate competitions and discussions to help students better their communication skills. Universities in rural India have an additional responsibility to prepare their students to face the outside world. They can do a phenomenal job in removing the inherent hitch in those coming from a rural background, he opines. At Invertis, the need to adapt to industry is well understood. Therefore, the curriculum changes every two years. This is done keeping in mind that the corporate world is growing at a fast pace and updating syllabi will equip students better to face the stiff competition, emphasises Prof. Sirohi.

“We also plan to explore opportunities to have an association with foreign universities. Our objective is to provide exposure to Invertis students,” he reveals. Prof. Sirohi, however, refrains from commenting on the future trends in the field of education. Today, the scenario is dynamic and it is very hard to predict the future. “We need to focus on building a strong base and provide opportunities to students for overall growth. Only then can they pave a way for themselves,” Prof. Sirohi signs off. Read More...

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Ankur Bansal, (Vice Chairman, NDIM) Points out some key Loopholes in Imparting Management Education in India and offers Solutions

Speaking about the initiatives taken by him, apart from setting up a new campus since he took charge, he says, “We increased the annual intake of students in the institute. Then, I started speaking to a lot of international professors, as well as expanded our corporateindustry interface. We are also looking at international collaborations for student and faculty exchanges.”

Having completed his MBA from the USA, Mr. Bansal finds some stark differences in the way a management degree is perceived and pursued in India. He points out, “Students entering the top 50 colleges in the US are of the average age of 27+ years. These students would have ideally had some work-ex and the classrooms there are more discussion-based, where the teacher acts as a facilitator. In India, the average age is 21-22 years, comprising students who come in right after an under graduate degree. This makes the classroom more lecture-based. Also, the quantity and quality of research done by the faculty matters a lot in the USA, rather than the number of teaching hours that the teacher has, which is a priority here in India.”

Again, according to him, the expectations of students in India from an MBA degree is more to do with a plum-salaried job. What the students fail to understand is that, entering a management school is just an entry point, but what really matters is what you do and how much effort you put in those two years of education.

Said that, what makes NDIM stand out from the clutter? And he quickly points out that, “Unfortunately, there is a big gap, between what people promise and what they deliver. For the last 15 years or so, we have been trying to keep up to that promise. Also, our objective is not to make some quick money and exit, which a lot have been resorting to in the last 4-5 years. My grandfather started the institute with a vision of giving back to society and even today, that commitment remains intact.” Adding further, he concludes by maintaining that, the institute’s aim is not to have 5000 MBAs each year, but as a policy, keep a limited intake and deliver quality education to the chosen few. Read More...

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She Writes Story Contest winner: Shreya Manjunath

Shreya Manjunath is one of twelve winners of the MSN-Random House She Writes a Story Contest', as chosen by our judges. Her story 'Winds of Indifference' features in the 'She Writes: A collection of Short Stories' published by Random House India and available at all leading bookstores.

Shreya Manjunath has a PGDM from IIM Bangalore and a BE in Computer Science from PESIT. She has been working as a management consultant. Shreya also writes socio-political satirical articles for a leading satirical website.

read an extract from shreya manjunath's story 'winds of indifference' 

'Honour be damned,' muttered Ketki under her breath. But Sarasvati Prasad was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. The eavesdropping winds carried his daughter's tales to any honourable villager who cared to listen, a pool that excluded nobody. Breezy gossip offered a welcome respite from the village still life. Gossip was liberation from the mundane. Libel was a lifestyle. Sarasvati Prasad grimaced as his firstborn argued with him incessantly. 'Papa, please let me go to the city,' Ketki demanded. She then appealed to their shared dream, 'Is it not your wish that I become a witch doctor?' He still hesitated. 'For Saraswati's sake,' Ketki pleaded, knowing fully well that she was playing her trump card. Sarasvati Prasad had always felt deeply obligated to his namesake, ever since books offered him refuge from school bullies.

Even as a child, Sarasvati Prasad had been effeminate, which made him a target for a many a thorough-bred, burly lads from the badlands of rural UP. Sarasvati had turned his solace into profession by becoming a village headmaster of some repute.

Post marriage, Sarasvati, still irked by his insecurities, felt that fatherhood would make up for his supposed inadequacies, and therefore proceeded to spawn four kids in quick succession. His false machismo may well have contributed his wife's untimely death. The guilt-ridden schoolmaster embraced his effeminacy ever since, vowing to mother his wife's young children after her demise. Sarasvati nursed his young children with the best education he could offer.

As soon as Ketki deemed it fit to demand to go to the city for higher education, the tussle for her future began. 'What will the relatives say if I send you to the city? What of our family's honour?' Sarasvati was at a loss for words once again, the first time being when he first held the feisty firstborn in his hands. Ketki had been promised to the goddess of the written word even before she was born. Sarasvati finally obliged and so did the goddess. Ketki aced her medical entrance tests.

Ketki doesn't remember leaving her village. She was evacuated to the city, undercover and in haste. The panchayat in her village, the so-called 'honour upholders', were hardly the patron saints of women's education. Ignoring the whispering winds back in the village, Ketki breezed through her doctorate exams and graduated with honours, though the panchayat believed this dishonoured the village.

in her own words: shreya manjunath

Have you always been a writer? What made you start writing?
I have done some freelance copywriting work in the past. After I completed my MBA from IIM B, I started writing satirical articles for a leading socio-political satirical website. Moving life experiences, spare time and the need to find my voice all made me start writing regularly.

What inspired you to enter She Writes?
I was delighted to be provided a platform to share the life experiences of Indian women, celebrating their struggles and successes. I was inspired to write for the competition with a view to expanding our society's liberal space and sensitizing the Indian public to the problems that ail our society.

Why did you chose the category you did?
The hostel where I stay is teeming with stories of women from small towns and villages who moved to the city. They all found the experience of moving to the city liberating and empowering. I drew from their struggles. Outrage over the diktats of regressive panchayats and honour crimes also made me choose the category of "Women in the city".

Do you have a writing routine - e.g. do you have favourite places to write/favourite times of day/do you write longhand or on a computer?
Ideas seem to have a life of their own and come to me when they do. I keep a mental tab of these ideas till I can get my hands on a laptop and then make little notes of these ideas. Finally I get down to weaving together these ideas and spinning a tale.

Who is your favourite author?
Salman Rusdie is my favourite author. His genre of magic realism connects you to the world while transcending it. The combination of a real connection and the chance of escape make for a great read. Ever the engineer, I also love Issac Assimov's short sci-fi stories that have the appeal of both science and psychology.

Which book has inspired you the most?
Vikram Seth's Suitable Boy moved me with its account of the conundrum of choosing a spouse- a loaded, weighty decision that largely determines how your entire personal life is going to pan out. The choice set against the background of a complex, multi-ethnic India made for a stirring read.

Which key piece of advice would you give to any other budding writer?
Exposure, be it through life experiences or reading enriches your imagination. Be engaged the world and with people, there are stories waiting to be found!

EduRiser Learning Solutions Organises a Learning Programme on Collaborative Business Simulation

Continued...LDGM simulated the setting of the wilderness where ‘Dutchman’ participants were supposed to get to the mine, get as much gold as they could and return

home. The situations that arose were designed to apply directly to real-time workplace situations. The participants could relate to and apply the learnings from the simulations to the workplace that encourage them to think and reflect, evaluate situations, value relationships between departments, promote interdependence, appreciate roles, maximise ROI and do more. Participants of the programme believed that LDGM was one of the best tools for reinforcing learnings of Collaboration, Teamwork, Risk Taking, Decision Making, Strategic Planning, Negotiation Skills and Resource Planning and Management. Mr. Salvis, the facilitator of this programme said, “Collaboration is in the best interest of the organisation, its clients and its employees. Inter-departmental conflict and unhealthy competition mar business growth and market value. Instead, if teams choose to collaborate for a common goal of organisational well-being and customer satisfaction, the results are overwhelming.” LDGM is a business simulation designed and packaged in an innovation game based format that is completely immersive and fun while being reflective and providing many key learnings for organisational greatness. Read More

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WORLD: ENERGY CRISIS AND WHY EVEN WE COULD BE WRONG :-)

The lethargy to move to alternative fuel seems almost insane...

The reality is that many underdeveloped and developing nations have similar sources of alternative energy; yet, fail to see the potential. If most of the major metropolitan cities turn to CNG as the standard fuel for all public transport systems and private vehicles, it would reduce the oil demand significantly. While billions of dollars are being spent in most nations for construction of highways, a fraction of similar investments for the creation of mass rapid railroad transport system running on gas (not gasoline, but hydrogen based gas) would not just drastically reduce the need for fuel oil, but would also help in creating a cleaner environment.

Reports state that India’s natural gas production is slated to touch nearly 170 million standard cubic metres per day by 2011-12. So, when natural gas and CBM can run power plants and vehicles, when an Iran or Russia based pipeline can meet the rest of the demand, why is such a price rise paranoia?

As the oil reserves near depletion in Middle East, the price of the same can only go up. A war between Israel and Iran might never happen but the fear factor of the same would continue to push the price northward. It’s time to exit this game theory of US (who perhaps benefit the most as the more the price of oil rises, more becomes the demand of dollar to buy the same). Let’s hope that the day gas becomes the preferred fuel is not far. And what would be proof of that? That’s easy. That would be the day an exemplary American President bombs a state called Bihar in India and claims he did it for saving the world from weapons of ‘gas’ destruction.


Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Jointly till The End of Time

JPC for 2G Scam is Illogical, Considering The Past Record of JPCs in India

Opposition parties including CPI () and BJP are strongly demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the 2G scam, which is estimated to have cost the nation Rs.1.76 lakh crore. But the JPC may not be the solution, considering the track record of JPCs conducted before.

There have been four JPCs conducted. The first ever JPC was instituted to investigate the Bofors contract on August 6, 1987 after a 45 days logjam of Parliament. The scale of the scandal was to the tune of Rs.400 million. The committee, under the leadership of B. Shankaranand, held 50 sittings and gave its report on April 26, 1988. Opposition parties rejected the committee saying that most members were from the Congress party. The second JPC was conducted to inquire into irregularities in Securities and Banking Transactions in the aftermath of the Harshad Mehta scandal involving over Rs.6 billion under former Union minister and senior Congress leader Ram Niwas Mirdha on August 6, 1992. It took nine years to prepare a report in 2002 but it was tabled in Parliament in 2005. Still, the recommendations were neither fully accepted nor implemented. The third was on the Ketan Parekh scam involving money worth Rs.30 million on April 26, 2001. The committee did present the report in 2002 and Ketan Parekh was arrested (then got bail too), but a lot of recommendations including sweeping changes in stock market regulations were ignored. The fourth JPC was on the pesticide residues in soft drinks, fruit juice and other beverages and to set safety standards. While the result was found positive, no productive actions were taken. The fact of the matter is JPCs only recommend, but cannot force governments to take action.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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India’s Upcoming B-Schools

A list of the B-Schools that Nearly made it to The Top 30 Ranks in the B&E-ICMR B-School Survey. And well, They Might just Make it Next Year!

B-schools of today can ill afford to stick to age old theories and management practices. In this dynamic business world, they have to continuously imbibe the changing trends and embrace the emerging buzzwords like sustainability, ethics, environment and entrepreneurship. And with an ever growing number of competitors, they cannot avoid the marketing aspect as well, since they have to be able to make their target audience aware of their courses and opportunities available post education. While in the west, b-school rankings keep changing almost every year, with even institutions like Harvard Business School not coming in the top ranks because of competition, in India, the situation has been quite different till now, with legacy rankings continuing for ages and the same b-schools coming in at the same ranks more or less. To that extent, the B&E ICMR B-School Survey has pointedly ensured that such legacy issues are avoided – and positively so, this year, while the usual suspects did make it to the top thirty, here’s a list of those b-schools which just about escaped from being included in the main list. There is no taking away credit from them, as India needs more and more b-schools to reject legacy rankings and to be the new change. Here they are:

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

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