IIM-L to make aspiring managers ‘a lot happier’ amid student suicide, falling academic standards - Hindustan Times
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IIM-L to make aspiring managers ‘a lot happier’ amid student suicide, falling academic standards

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By
Mar 19, 2018 06:55 PM IST

IIM-L director Ajit Prasad said while speaking during the premier business school’s 32nd convocation on Saturday that both teachers and students were under immense pressure to meet the institute’s tall performance standards.

The Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM-L) will strive to improve its “on-campus happiness quotient” after a number of its students failed to meet the academic standards and another committed suicide last year due to the stress of institutional rigours.

IIM Lucknow convocation at IIM Campus in Lucknow on Saturday.(Dheeraj Dhawan/Hindustan Times)
IIM Lucknow convocation at IIM Campus in Lucknow on Saturday.(Dheeraj Dhawan/Hindustan Times)

IIM-L director Ajit Prasad said while speaking during the premier business school’s 32nd convocation on Saturday that both teachers and students were under immense pressure to meet the institute’s tall performance standards.

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Prasad recalled a student’s suicide on the campus last year and said it was probably because he was “unable to cope with pressure”. He also mentioned that 20 students failed to meet the academic standards of their courses.

“As a result, the on-campus happiness quotient has declined ... We have thought of addressing this problem and from the next session, you will see our students a lot happier,” Prasad said.

However, the director did not elaborate on how the institute would bring about this change.

Tata Sons Ltd chairperson N Chandrasekaran, who is also permanent chairperson of IIM-L’s society and board of governors, said the students were entering the world at a time when everything was changing and similar problems were emerging in different parts of the world.

Mentioning the lack of jobs, climate change, global terrorism, an ageing population and failure to cope with massive disruption in technology as the major global challenges, he said that the world was reacting with “a degree of protectionism”.

“However, the Indian context is different, with there being a huge demand for doctors, teachers, judges and nation builders. Our country also has the highest number of professional graduates in the pipeline,” Chandrasekaran said while addressing the students.

“As management graduates, you are at a very distinct advantage because you can appreciate the role of technology in business and appreciate the business models required to make these solutions viable,” he said.

“We need to solve the problems in a short period of time and in a non-traditional way. I hope all of you will play an influential role in creating a better India,” he added.

Six hundred and thirteen students received their diplomas on the occasion.

Chief guest sends video message

It was the first instance in recent times when a chief guest did not show up at the IIM-L’s convocation. Sanjeev Bikhchandani, the founder of Info Edge (India) Limited, sent a video message instead.

“Real professional happiness can be achieved through the joy of creation – the joy you get from others who appreciate what you have created and the joy you get when your creation makes a difference,” Bikhchandani said.

Vivek Choudhary bags Chairman’s Gold Medal

Choudhary, who was presented the Chairman’s Gold Medal for securing the top rank, is used to bagging top ranks. In 2016, when the bright youngster was in the first year, he secured the first position in the examination for the Institute of Company Secretaries India (ICSI) executive and professional programme.

Other medal winners for the postgraduate programme in management and the postgraduate programme in agri-business management were Joydeep Chakraborty (Director’s Medal for securing second rank), Kumari Ankita (PGP Chairman’s Medal for securing third rank), Bhoomika Gupta (Bizkool Medal for the best student in information technology), Pranay Bhabhera (Hari Shankar Singhania Medal for best all-rounder) and Bharti Gupta (Budhiraja Medal for best all-rounder).

IPS officer gets fellow title

Chandrasekaran felicitated Indian Police Service officer Amitabh Thakur with the fellow title for his research work on the impact of leadership, HR practices and stress on police outcome.

Thakur undertook a survey of 933 policemen of various branches of Uttar Pradesh to statistically conclude that an improvement in human resources policies could better police performance by around 60% and improve job satisfaction by over 70%.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Rajeev Mullick is a Special Correspondent, he writes on education, telecom and heads city bureau at Lucknow. Love travelling

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