The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) inaugurated the latest batch of Fellow Program in Management (FPM) comprising 22 participants and the two-year Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP) with 430 students with a function on June 14 at its campus.
On the occasion, Minister for Information & Broadcasting Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore urged the students to build a strong foundation not just in management but also in personality development and referred to his own experience at the Indian Military Academy.
The Minister, who is also in charge of Youth Affairs and Sports, made a surprise appearance at the function after enjoying a game of volleyball at the IIMB sports complex.
Emphasizing that life would constantly challenge and test the best, he called upon students to rise to challenges that come their way. Citing instances from his life, both as a sportsperson and in the armed forces, he said: “The essence of life is that it is not about the destination but about the journeys you undertake. As you move along in life, you must create value not just for yourself but for your surroundings. You must work for greater good.”
He also presented the Union Government’s four-year report card and said he would welcome feedback from the students.
Earlier, Saugata Gupta, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Marico Limited, an alumnus of IIMB (PGP 1989-1991), delivered the chief guest’s address and assured the incoming students that they were in for memorable times at IIMB.
“Don’t make choices because of peer pressure. Choose what you are interested in and are good at. If you are good, money and fame will chase you,”
“Life is all about choice-making and you have made the right choice. When I came to IIMB in 1989, the choices (among management students) were like the English alphabet – A, B and C but it looks like the English alphabet does not work any longer because B now comes first!” he said to loud applause.
“Don’t make choices because of peer pressure. Choose what you are interested in and are good at. If you are good, money and fame will chase you,” he said.
Emphasizing what he described as “old-fashioned values”, he said there was no substitute for hard work, self-discipline and resilience, and encouraged students to take risks, strive for balance, and stay relevant by constantly reinventing themselves.
IIMB Director Professor G Raghuram quoted from a new student’s FB post – a poem capturing her excitement at joining IIM Bangalore. “It is a wonderful feeling for us that your sense of anticipation at being at IIMB is so high,” he said.
“Honestly, management is not rocket science. It is a lot of good common sense. That is what we keep reinforcing here,” he added.
The Admissions Chair, Prof. G. Sabarinathan, shared the profiles of the PGP and FPM batches, spoke of the learnings he hoped the new students would have at IIMB and wished they would carry fond memories of their time on campus.
The Fellow Programme in Management Chair, Prof Rejie P. George, said IIMB’s doctoral programme serves a national agenda of providing academic talent to management schools in the country. “If, as a PGP student, you yearn for more time here with us, then I welcome you to join our FPM programme and stay with us longer,” he added.
ALSO READ: Admission Opens At ISB for 1-Year PGP Class of 2020
The addresses were followed by the presentation of the Director’s Merit List (DML) Awards for the PGP Class of 2017-19. PGP Chair Prof. Padmini Srinivasan announced the names of the award winners.
Prof. Sabarinathan, who is also the Chair, Financial Aid and Scholarships, announced the names of the recipients of the various awards. PGP 1976 Alumni Scholarship Award goes to Prachi Garg, the Siddharth Padam Scholarship Award to Rishav Lohia, the Runwal Education Trust Scholarship Award to Mohammed Kamran Ashraf and the IIMB Ubuntu Scholarship to Deepu O.K.
