The MOB Testimonies: Queen of the Clouds

It was 6 am …after a sleepless night of banter with my mates it was finally time to sleep. On the way to the toilet, I met Mudit dressed up and backpack slung on his shoulder, and asked the first question that would make the rest of my day “Are you going somewhere?” Mudit, as always his smiling and excited self said that they were a group of 11 riding to a place called ‘Ghatarani’ known for its waterfall. He was looking for people who would come along and started pestering me to join. One of those moments where the mind says yes and the heart says no. I wanted to go …but with having wasted the entire night before and the one before that, the ghost of pending projects and studies haunted me. I came back to the room seeing others on their way to join Mudit. I sighed; maybe some other time. When I entered the room Alok (my roomie) asked what was up. I told him about the ride these people were going on and how I wanted to go too. I had not even finished my sentence when his bike keys hit me in the chest, “Go on bro!” he said. Those three words were the stimulus that made me get ready in 2 minutes and on the bike with the others.

The pack (if I may call it) started from our residence at IIM Raipur, heading northwards towards NH-30 after fuel and air checks. On NH-30 and outside city limits, we stopped at a ramshackle tea-stall for tea and cigarettes. After tea, it was time to twist the throttle and burn some rubber as we zoomed away through the green paddy fields of Chhattisgarh towards the small town of Abhanpur. With the wind in my hair and Metallica pounding away “I disappear” in my ears I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else, that moment. To top it all, Partha zoomed in from behind me throwing up a challenge. I quickly responded with a change of gears and twist of the accelerator to get ahead of him; our little race went on for a while before I left him in the lurch and put distance between myself and the rest of the group. I finally reached Rajim and waited for the others to come; meanwhile I bought cigarettes and had tea. Seeing that it was taking them too long and fearing something wrong I turned back, to look for them. After going back a considerable distance without a sign of the rest of the group, I asked the second question that would make my day this time directed towards me.”Should I go back or continue towards Ghatarani?” Still don’t understand why I chose the latter but would be thankful to god later. 

What followed were few very anxious moments with all sorts of things bouncing inside my head. Despite everything, I went on… The road had by now become a narrow track with paddy fields on both sides and cattle in the middle (yes, on the road!). As I weaved through oncoming obstacles, I brushed on more than one occasion by their tails…. Not a good experience. But despite the thoughts going on in my head and the trouble I was having in maintaining speed, I could not stop myself from soaking in the serene beauty all around me, from lush green paddy fields, fresh air laced with incense from a nearby temple to the sights and sounds of a quaint village waking up. Not really the romantic.... I tried concentrating on the road ahead but couldn’t help my eyes from wandering towards the simple yet touching beauty. Stopping at a place to ask for directions, I was told that the remainder of the group had passed before me. It was the moment of relief that I was looking for, flipping gears and opening the throttle my bike reflected my emotions.

Coming down a slope I suddenly saw a blur of colors mainly yellow with some pink and bit of others. The next thing I knew was that I was on the ground my clothes dirty and some blood on my left leg below the knee. It was nothing serious actually, I had taken a skid and a fall in the process of avoiding a collision with a “family travelling on a bicycle” (man, wife and child on one cycle ….can you believe it!). The bruises were minor and to avoid any further embarrassment in front of a group of giggling schoolgirls, I picked up the bike and whatever was left of my pride and rode on.

“Is that them?” Yes, the third question which made my day came after about 15km later …on a road with curves which could put Jennifer Lopez to shame, I had arrived within seconds of the group and the anxious faces returned to being their usual grinning selves. We went up to the waterfall and posed for photographs trying to look the best we could while being semi-naked (Special mention to Sumit Ranjan for this). Partha was in his element while under the falls and surrounding forest, from making gorilla mating calls to dancing in ways considered offensive in many civilized societies. The temple of Jamtaimata at the head of the falls must have been at least many hundred years old, it made me realize that no matter what changes, but man’s faith in god is perpetual.

As we sat for lunch in a sleepy dhaba in Rajim, the fatigue showed but what showed more was joy. Everyone was happy about the trip and then past incidents were narrated. The laxity in service at the dhaba only gave us more time to chatter about, but suddenly it turned very formal more like a group discussion on topics ranging from Clubs in college to the CR’s. Time seemed to have slowed down (especially for me and Partha; the most uncouth in the group) ….and then the food finally came…spicing things up a bit (quite literally actually). 

On the way back, I tried to reminisce all that I had seen on the trip and all that I had done (The stinging bruise on my leg a mute reminder)…. I guess most of all, I remembered faces…smiling faces, be it the bearded ‘Babaji’ at the first tea-stall we stopped at, the giggling schoolgirls, the smile of relief on the faces of my mates when they saw me come over the hill and many others; it showed more than just happiness and contentment …what I saw in them was resilience, for which I arrived at a new definition. It’s not really what people say it is …. It is actually the ability of a person to curl his lips upwards and display his dentures in times of adversity (so much …for an MBA).

I can’t really describe the feelings my posterior had while riding into the campus. Finally it was going to be relieved of all the weight it had been carrying for so long …Now the 80 kg of man would be transferred on to the back on a Godrej mattress, until we ride again!

This article is written by Aniruddh Mukerji, PGP 2013-15. He can be reached at pgp13063.aniruddh@iimraipur.ac.in .

IIM Raipur launches Post Graduate Programme for Working Executives – Inauguration by Hon’ble Governor of Chhattisgarh

IIM Raipur launched Post-Graduate Programme for Working Executives on October 27, 2012. The Programme was inaugurated by Governor of Chhattisgarh Hon’ble Shri Shekhar Dutt.

The Hon’ble Governor said that in pursuit of excellence if you achieve the skill of managing business, corporate or other economic affairs; people may call you the Business Manager par excellence but if you can achieve the quality of managing and inspiring others to manage those affairs – you are a Business Magnate.

He further said that today, our country is recognized by the world as the future world leader and he believes that this generation is the one who will lead the country to new heights. Therefore, they have this added responsibility of achieving this goal. It is said that 21^st century is the century of Asia, but Hon’ble Governor extended it to the century of India.

Welcoming Hon’ble Governor and PGPWE students, Prof B.S. Sahay, Director IIM Raipur, said that there are many qualified professionals who could not pursue their management education due to different reasons. The PGPWE provides an opportunity for such experienced professionals and minimises disruption of work and personal pursuits. It empowers one with the knowledge, skill attitude, flexibility and ability for lifelong learning, to develop one’s career to its fullest potential. It fosters independent thought and fuels informed management decisions and practices resulting in valuable contribution to the organisation.

He added that the uniqueness of PGPWE is the rich, diverse yet collective professional experience of its participants, which translates into outstanding learning opportunities, enriching the educational environment and shared understanding.

Prof. Pradyumna Dash, Chairman (Admissions & International Relations) IIM Raipur presented the profile of the pioneer batch of PGPWE. 1^st Batch of PGPWE comprises of 39 students with an average age of 37 years and an average work experience of 13 years. The participants are a fine blend from many private and government organizations viz. NTPC, SAIL, ACC Ltd, BALCO, NRDA, Kotak Bank, Central Excise and Indian Railways etc.

Prof. M. Kannadhasan, Chairman (PGPWE) IIM Raipur briefed the participants about the programme. The programme is formulated and designed to enhance skills and capabilities essential for managerial positions. The focus is to enable and develop managers that understand global requirements of their organisations as well as also understand the intricacies of business at functional and strategic levels.

Prof Ajit Prasad, Dean (Academics) IIM Raipur proposed vote of thanks to the Hon’ble Governor. He extended his thanks to the Director, Chairman PGPWE and Chairman Admissions. In his address to the PGPWE students he said that the participants will study in an intellectually invigorating program for the next 18 months. After the program is over they will be in a better situation to face any organizational promotional challenge. They will work under the prestigious IIM brand name, being taught by the best minds in the country, using state of the art pedagogy.

IIM Raipur join hands with State Council Educational Research and Training SCERT (Chhattisgarh), to augment education system in Chhattisgarh

IIM Raipur along with SCERT is conducting a five day residential training programme on School leadership and capacity building to improve school education and its process from October 15 to October 19, 2012 at Hotel Grand Tulip, Raipur.

This is the first step of a year long engagement by IIM Raipur with Chhattisgarh state government to improve the current education system and its process within the state. The participants for the whole training program comprised of principals of higher secondary schools of few blocks out of five districts chosen by State Government board SCERT. The State Council Educational Research and Training (SCERT (Chhattisgarh)) is an R&D institute at the state level by providing guidance, support and assistance to the state education department to improve the quality of primary, upper primary and secondary education and teacher education.

IIM Raipur is providing active consultation to SCERT for streamlining the overall development of secondary education in the state and to advise the Government on policy matters relating to school education. Speaking about the relevance of the programme Prof Ajit Prasad, Chairperson, PGP Program, said that the GSDP of the state is growing at 11% and the development of its human resource is of utmost importance. IIM Raipur has chosen to work at the very grass root level which is the school education. The program is as a part of IIM Raipur’s vision to be a net contributor to the development of the region.

The total participants are 25 in number who are currently undergoing training. This program is in phases and will also involve continuous monitoring and rigorous training at regular intervals.

The program instructors are IIM Faculty members including Prof. Ajit Prasad (Director of this program), Prof. Vinita Sahay (Director of this program), Prof. Sanjeev Parashar, Prof. S.K. Mitra and Prof. Shubhra Hajela.

The training involves training on understanding behavioural issues like developing school leadership, motivation, time management, use of technology, conflict resolution. It would also involve technical training on use of internet, computers and will also involve methods of community mobilization.

Given below are the program in details:

1.     Day 1 Monday October 15

Theme: Institutional Leadership:
It focused on assessing the current economic environment and the challenges posed to the school education system both in terms of knowledge, technology and changing age mix of the catchment population. Focus was to channelize motivation as a tool for community mobilization. There were four sessions taken by Prof Sanjeev Prashar IIM Raipur, Prof Ajit Prasad, IIM Raipur, Prof Shubhra Hajela, IIM Raipur and Prof Vinita Sahay, IIM Raipur.

2.     Day 2 Tuesday October 16

 Theme- Quality in Education
It covered the skill sets required for school principals like time management, efficient use of technology and the art of conflict resolution between the different stake holders. The following sessions were taken by Prof Ajit Prasad, Prof Sanjeev Prashar, Prof Shubhra Hajela and Prof Vinita Sahay, respectively:

·         On managerial skills and requirement for school principals.

·         Time management in school administration

·         Institutional planning, requirements, budgets, quality and vision of an excellent school

·         Conflict resolution: staying on top of conflicts

3.     Day 3 Wednesday October 17

 Theme- Personal Role Modelling:
It consisted of psychometric testing for participants to have a better self understanding and at the same time getting exposed to the basis of transactional analysis. Also, IIM Raipur focused on communication being the key factor in the leadership development, and therefore emphasised more on communication skills, understanding and improving. IIM Raipur also used training techniques to demonstrate at the individual level the different aspects of communication. The following sessions were being taken on day 3 of the training:

·         Understanding self, MBTI, basics of transactional analysis by Prof Shubhra Hajela.

·         Communication and self awareness and communication as a key to leadership by Prof Vinita Sahay which also included detailed training on individual and group communication

4.     Day 4 Thursday October 18

Theme- Managing Schools effectively
The principal as a leader is also required to be a good manager. This programme will focus on managing a school as an organization, setting of mission and vision, and translating them into objectives and goals. The session emphasised on the role of leadership in establishing culture, facilitating institutional planning to achieve targets and setting up of an appropriate Management Information System (MIS) to facilitate decision making. The following sessions will be in line for day 4:

·         Managing a school as an organization, mission, vision and objectives by Prof Ajit Prasad.

·         Understanding leadership, requirements, planning of a leader by Prof Shubhra Hajela

5.     Day 5 Friday October 19:

Theme- Leadership and Change Management:
The role of the principal of a school as a change manager becomes very critical. The sessions will explain the importance to understand the leadership requirements, planning for growth, using technology effectively and applying best practices in the whole education system.

·         Creating culture understanding dimensions of culture which will be taken up by Prof. Sanjeev Prashar

·         Benchmarking education and need for standardization taken up by Prof. S.K.Mitra.

Apart from this, there were also some group activities in the evening every day after training from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, planned by IIM Raipur to fully utilise the facility of residential program and is scheduled for both day 4 and 5 of the program.

Chhattisgarh has one of the best Public Distribution System in the nation : Mr Kaushalendra Singh

The biggest sin for a king is the death of any of his subjects due to hunger

- Chanakya, in his treatise ‘Arthasastra’

Indian Institute of Management Raipur conducted a guest lecture by Mr. Kaushalendra Singh, Managing Director Chhattisgarh state civil supplies corporation on October 3, 2012. The lecture focused on the Evolution of best practices in Food grain management through procurement and Public distribution systems in Chhattisgarh.

The lecture discussed various aspects of public distribution system, and the usage of information technology and logistic facilities for effective and efficient collection and distribution of food grains throughout the state of Chhattisgarh.

He observed that the use of modern technology and the involvement of public in the PDS had been a major factor that ensured the achievement of the intended goal.

Recently the Supreme Court of India acknowledged the effectiveness of innovative policies followed in PDS by Chhattisgarh and has recommended implementation of similar policies in other states.

The state government’s role in procuring agricultural goods has improved the welfare of the farmers. It has saved the farmers from the distress caused by the intermediate agents. The farmers now receive right sum for their hard work void of exploitation at the hands of arhtiyas.

Improved accountability, transparency, instant payment through computer generated cheques and effective protection of the collected food grains have enforced the government’s commitment towards its people.  

 He commented that several legal and structural reforms were undertaken to deliver these benefits to the farmers and the ration cardholders. Removal of 2.80 lakh fake ration cards has helped the government to identify the real demand within the state.  The Dal bhat Kendra is an initiative taken by the government to provide healthy and tasty food for the below poverty line citizens.

All these measures clearly radiated the amount of political and bureaucratic will required in developing an effective public distribution system in the state.

The lecture closed with an interactive session with the students on the intricacies involved in the implementation and improvisation of the innovative systems designed for these purposes.

Prof. B. S. Sahay , Director of Indian Institute of Management Raipur gave a vote of thanks to Mr. Kaushalendra Singh for sharing his valuable insights.

IIM Raipur organizes Capacity Building for students from Bastar

ZEE 24 ghante Chhattisgarh in collaboration with Public Relations Department and Tribal Development Department of Chhattisgarh, organized an exposure visit of approximate 300 students from class 9 to 11 and 15 teachers of Bastar division to enlighten the students and give them exposure to various career options available to them. IIM Raipur, working in close relations with government of Chhattisgarh since its inception, was specially chosen for the occasion as it can really serve as dream institute for budding students of Chhattisgarh.

The students were welcomed to the institute by generic speeches by students of IIM Raipur followed by motivational speech by Director and local faculty of Chhattisgarh.

The students were first of all briefed about the basic principles of management. The students were told how the management is linked to day to day life of everyone including them. Then they were given a brief idea about an IIM, its working and the selection procedure. There are all in all 13 IIMs in India and Chhattisgarh boasts of having one of them. Institutes like IITs, NITs and IIMs are instrumental in development of the nation and an IIM in the state of Chhattisgarh can play a crucial role in the development of state. The students were motivated to start thinking about their career and chalk out a plan to achieve their targets. They were told that the government has taken all measures to remove any kind of economic hurdles and there are additional provisions for backward classes so that bright students can reach premier institutes without any discrimination.