Marico MD and IIMB alumnus Saugata Gupta is chief guest; I&B Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is the evening’s surprise speaker
14 June, 2018: The director, deans, faculty and students of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore welcomed 22 students to the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) and 430 students to the two-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), here today.
Saugata Gupta, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Marico Limited, and 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. “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.
Warming to the theme of choice, he said, “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.” Emphasizing what he described as “old-fashioned values”, he said there is 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.
Welcoming the incoming students, 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, sharing IIMB’s vision to be a global, renowned academic institution fostering excellence in management, innovation and entrepreneurship for business, government and society. “Honestly, management is not rocket science. It is a lot of good common sense. That is what we keep reinforcing here,” he said.
In his address, earlier in the evening, 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.
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 awardees. Prof. Sabarinathan, who is also the Chair, Financial Aid and Scholarships, announced the names of the recipients of the PGP 1976 Alumni Scholarship Award (PRACHI GARG), the Siddharth Padam Scholarship Award (RISHAV LOHIA), the Runwal Education Trust Scholarship Award (MOHAMMED KAMRAN ASHRAF), and the IIMB Ubuntu Scholarship (DEEPU O.K).
The Student Affairs Council President, Amrit Anshuman, then gave the incoming students a glimpse into life on campus. The programme came to a close with a cultural programme by the senior students of FPM and PGP.
Advice from a soldier and sportsman
Once, the awards were given away, a surprise guest took centrestage. I&B Minister and Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who first enjoyed a game of volleyball at the IIMB sports complex and delighted in his maiden visit to the campus, described the facilities as “amazing” while addressing the students.
Apologizing for “parachuting in” at the programme, he said he was in Bangalore and the opportunity to speak to the young talent at IIMB was hard to resist. He recalled his own student days at the Military Academy and urged the students to build a strong foundation not just in management but also in personality development. 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, to emphasize the importance of possessing a fighting spirit, 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.”
The minister also presented the Union Government’s four-year report card and said he would welcome feedback from the students.
Marico MD and IIMB alumnus Saugata Gupta is chief guest; I&B Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is the evening’s surprise speaker
14 June, 2018: The director, deans, faculty and students of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore welcomed 22 students to the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) and 430 students to the two-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), here today.
Saugata Gupta, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Marico Limited, and 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. “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.
Warming to the theme of choice, he said, “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.” Emphasizing what he described as “old-fashioned values”, he said there is 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.
Welcoming the incoming students, 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, sharing IIMB’s vision to be a global, renowned academic institution fostering excellence in management, innovation and entrepreneurship for business, government and society. “Honestly, management is not rocket science. It is a lot of good common sense. That is what we keep reinforcing here,” he said.
In his address, earlier in the evening, 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.
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 awardees. Prof. Sabarinathan, who is also the Chair, Financial Aid and Scholarships, announced the names of the recipients of the PGP 1976 Alumni Scholarship Award (PRACHI GARG), the Siddharth Padam Scholarship Award (RISHAV LOHIA), the Runwal Education Trust Scholarship Award (MOHAMMED KAMRAN ASHRAF), and the IIMB Ubuntu Scholarship (DEEPU O.K).
The Student Affairs Council President, Amrit Anshuman, then gave the incoming students a glimpse into life on campus. The programme came to a close with a cultural programme by the senior students of FPM and PGP.
Advice from a soldier and sportsman
Once, the awards were given away, a surprise guest took centrestage. I&B Minister and Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who first enjoyed a game of volleyball at the IIMB sports complex and delighted in his maiden visit to the campus, described the facilities as “amazing” while addressing the students.
Apologizing for “parachuting in” at the programme, he said he was in Bangalore and the opportunity to speak to the young talent at IIMB was hard to resist. He recalled his own student days at the Military Academy and urged the students to build a strong foundation not just in management but also in personality development. 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, to emphasize the importance of possessing a fighting spirit, 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.”
The minister also presented the Union Government’s four-year report card and said he would welcome feedback from the students.