Friday 2 May 2014

My experience with IMI Bhubaneswar-Part-1
When I got the news that I was selected for IMI Bhubaneswar my happiness knew no bounds. I have been born and brought up in Bhubaneswar- the city of temples. For obvious reasons I am passionate about my city! Therefore, pursuing PGDM in an internationally acclaimed institute right in my own city was exhilarating! Cheers to IMI Bhubaneswar!
I threw a grand party to my project team at TCS and gleefully waited for the day of the commencement of classes at IMI BH. After 2.8 years of corporate life I was hitting college again! From that very moment, my life had already changed! I was actually spending all my time in the office to check everything I could about IMI, on the Internet! Things about its legacy, about the institutional culture, student’s profiles… Then, I can actually go on to say I was troubling the administration of IMI BH  every now and then as well as few of my seniors(voluntary mentors) to know it all before I arrived there….. my questions ranging from how equipped are classrooms, how many lifts, security, mode of conveyance, the subjects we had, faculties, how comfortable are hostel rooms…
Corporate life had conditioned me to plan everything in advance but my decision to join IMI was instantaneous and to a great extent inspired and influenced by my father. He takes pride and feels honoured to have been closely associated with our Director General Padmashree Pritam Singh Sir at some point of time. My father believed that an institution under the leadership of a man of such high ideals who possesses the capabilities of turning around the system of education in the nation, this institute is simply a star waiting to outshine! So, with all that legacy and pride, I was literally having a tough time to WAIT!
But behold! Just 5 days before my orientation programme, I met with a severe accident, broke both my leg and hand. With that monstrous blue plaster I arrived at IMI BH to meet our director, Prof Ramesh Behl Sir to seek an appropriate way to deal with the tragedy... To my pleasant surprise, he was so genuinely concerned and extra supportive to help me out in whichever way possible, he offered to render any assistance or support that is attainable…The same was the love and care by all my doting professors... and today after almost a year, I still get reminded of those tough times but the love and support I received brings me back only smiles…. I shall remain forever grateful to the entire family of IMI BH for supporting me through the most difficult times… right from bringing me food packed from the canteen to helping me with the ramp, to my seating arrangements and everything else and more than what a disabled person might need.
It was since the inception at the new institute, and more so during those days I realized; IMI Bhubaneswar was not just an institution, but a FAMILY! With a father such as our director, with other seniors such as our adorable and intellectually laden faculty members, with the extra sincere staff and administration persons, IMI Bhubaneswar was indeed a home away from home.
Despite the ups and downs, teething problems of any nascent organization, the love, care, attention, dedication and support of the entire family was something that was truly rewarding. Any problem, any issue, once reported has always been attended to and taken care of in the best possible manner.
……..This was a piece of my sentiments towards my alma mater.
To talk about academics, it was indeed gladdening that unlike most of the previous schools I have attended, faculties encourage interactions and arguments…they expect you to get deeply involved and participate in every classroom conversation. Apart from that, classes go on as a mix between theory and cases on the same lines as that of our sister concern IMI Delhi.
Again, at IMI BH they truly practice what they the management leaders preach- “Management is not about learning theory but all about putting it into practice! “ Taking a cue from this statement, I would like to bring about the most unique characteristic about IMI Bhubaneswar…. That is- it is one of the very few institutions wherein the students are encouraged and given full freedom to get involved with the administration and management of the institution! Yes that’s true! Just as I said, it’s a family, it empowers, trusts and authorizes every student to actively participate and contribute towards the growth and development of the institution as our own organization! We take pride in calling ourselves the INTRAPRENEURS who not only come here to study management concepts but are also privileged to be a part of another legend in making!
As regards the activities in the campus, I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of events organized despite the comparatively smaller strength we had! Apart from the topics of academic importance such as seminars, workshops, guest lectures from industry stalwarts as well as interactive sessions from IMI Delhi faculties, we also have numerous other events that pave way for the holistic growth of an individual though an array of activities spread evenly throughout the academic calendar. We conduct street plays spreading awareness on topics of national importance, arrange for competitions, play games, create fests, sport events, different types of parties, celebrate every festival with utmost fervor and what not! There are so many events to participate in, so many things to discover, so many ways to unleash your potentials!
These 10 months I have spent in IMI BH till now have offered me profound personal enrichment. I was able to understand, not only ‘Management’ but a very different way of living, a different perspective of looking at life!

 By Punyatoya Panigrahi 

Wednesday 13 November 2013

“Experience-ship” at eKutir!


A two-year stint at Northern Operating Services Private Limited, a subsidiary of Northern Trust Bank at Bangalore, and a year of PGDM at IMI Bhubaneswar, I realized that I would want to take up challenges in a contemporary social business sector. Despite having internship offers with other leading and bigger organizations, I chose to work with a relatively small yet meaningful business venture with an intention to think and experience beyond the conventional.

My two-month summer internship program with eKutir Rural Management Services Pvt. Ltd. was a challenging yet a smooth experience. I term it challenging for the reason that when I began the program, I did not have the slightest inkling about the nuances of the social business. I call it smooth because even though I as a novice in the field, I was never made to feel so. The continuous sharing of knowledge and information by my mentor ensured that I get to learn the business at the earliest and then deliver according to the objectives set for me.
The phase-I of the internship was carried out at the Bhubaneswar office under the direct supervision of the Managing Director of eKutir. The first month spent at the Bhubaneswar office was more of a self-learning experience where I was allowed to experiment with my work and stretch my limits with every passing day. Timely review of my work ensured that I was moving in the right direction. The office environment ensured utmost discipline among the co-workers and each one of us got his/her own space to implement the ideas with enough room for guidance from the Managing Director himself. Again, my co-worker from Denmark gave me a new insight to my existing perspective of the business. I was fortunate to get a global purview of the business and the seriousness with which the youth abroad considers the nature of the social business. With every passing day, my thinking was undergoing a paradigm shift only for the better.

The phase-II of my internship was carried out with the COO of eKutir, based out of his apartment in New Delhi. If the first month was more of a self-learning, the second month was equally demanding of my deliverables. My responsibilities were handed over to me within the first few days and then there was no looking back. This is where the concept of project management was utilized to carry out the assignments. I was simultaneously working on more than one assignment beginning from the development of the matrix till the creation of the SOPs. Each day came with a new challenge, and the challenges were dealt with utmost professionalism and discipline. The homely set-up of the apartment was not detrimental to my performance. Instead it gave me an entirely new work environment to come up with fresh ideas, incorporate those in the daily work and get them reviewed by the COO himself. A plethora of relatively small projects were accomplished within a span of 3-4 weeks spent in New Delhi. The involvement of experts in the projects made it even more exciting and challenging, that pushed me to the limits to deliver the best.

After spending eight weeks with eKutir, it would not be an exaggeration to proudly state that my summer internship program has bestowed on me a tremendous experience just the way I had expected. I found myself to be one of the privileged management students to have worked towards the branding of an organization. Almost all the aspects were covered, giving me a hands-on experience one of the most sought after aspect of business management. The inquisitiveness was justified when I first walked in to the Head Office at Bhubaneswar. With no knowledge about the industry and the operations, I chose to take a leap of faith and work towards meeting the objectives set by my mentor. Even though it sounded vague initially, I as determined to understand the operations and give in all that I have to deliver. Each day came with a new challenge and from being a novice, I gradually grew to be a thorough professional in the organization. I remember the first day at eKutir when I was clueless about the impact assessment matrix that I had to develop. And with constant help and feedback from my mentors, I was able to come up with the Inclusive Impact Index that would now be instrumental in the operations of the new subsidiary under the parentage of eKutir which will work for routing philanthrocapital investments to incubate, support, and accelerate different social businesses working with the Base of the Pyramid. I feel a sense of satisfaction for having streamlined the existing the procedures and procedure documents. The fact that it has created value for the organization justifies my efforts put in during the internship period.

I was fortunate to get a wide perspective of the organizations that are involved in the developmental programs targeted at enhancing the livelihoods of the poor with the help of technology. I was introduced to a few dynamic entrepreneurs and experts who have made a difference to me, both professionally and personally. I came across individuals who think uniquely and aim to bring about a positive change in the society with the help of the available resources and collaborations with the honchos. I am grateful to my co-interns who came in with varied experiences and expertise and, as a result I was able to imbibe the good they had to share. The program enhanced my time management skills but I would believe that there is always a room for improvement. I got umpteen opportunities to utilize my creative bent of mind in creating something new and bring fresh changes to the existing.

Needless to say, the Summer Internship Program at eKutir was an incredible experience for me that lead me to hone my skills, add a few more, and create considerable value for the organization!

Siladitya Sahoo
PGDM 2012-14

IMI Bhubaneswar

Sunday 3 November 2013

How to get a divorce: The Layman’s Guide


Wondering how to get a divorce? Not sure how to get rid of the annoying partner you once loved more than life itself? The divorce laws in India are very hard to decipher. It takes a lot of time and money to undertake a divorce process in India. Well the following is a layman’s guide on the process of divorce.

The first and foremost step is getting your self a lawyer. Unless and until you have a law degree you will need one.  The cost will depend on the knowledge and experience of the lawyer you hire. Try getting an experienced one. It’ll cost a little more but you won’t end up losing an arm and leg in alimony payments. He will guide you and tell you how to get a divorce.

The next step would be actually filing for divorce. If both of you are equally annoyed of each other and it’s a mutual divorce then you can file joint papers for divorce and go in for a no fault divorce. But in the case the divorce is not mutual you will have to go in for a contested divorce and file the case citing reasons for divorce. These reasons are different for different religions but the basic point on the basis of which divorce can be filed are

11)      Fidelity – If your spouse is cheating you can file for divorce citing the reason.
22)      Abuse – If you are being abused physically or mentally.
33)      Medical Grounds – You can file for divorce if your spouse is mentally ill or has an incurable disease.

Based on you reasons for divorce your lawyers will draw up a petition and you will have to provide him with the necessary information and documents required. You will have to provide the details of your marriage and why it failed. These details help the lawyer draft a sound case and will a fool-proof case. There are also a number of documents you will be required to submit to the lawyer. These include
11)      Employment details and salary slip.
22)      Assets owned.
33)      Family details and history.
44)      Income Tax details.

After all the following things have been taken care of the case will finally go into court and a date will be assigned for your hearing. A copy of the petition and a summon stating the date and time of the hearing will be sent to your partner.

At the date of hearing the lawyers from both the parties will take center stage and fight it out. The details about the assets, property and alimony will be worked out. The biggest bone of contention between the couple is the child. It takes a lot of time and background check before the court decides which of the two parents is more competent to look after and give the child a better future.


Finally the court will give out a detail report stating all the points of contest and how they were settled. That will be the final step in the divorce process according to the Indian Law and that is how you get a divorce in India.

Anant Ashesh
2nd Year
PGDM
IMI-B

Tuesday 29 October 2013

POPULATION, DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT

On 20th April 2010 the world witnessed one of the worst environmental disasters, when Deep water Horizon platform, located in the Gulf of Mexico caught fire and plunged into the ocean. The spill causing 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil to contaminate the Gulf of Mexico each day causing extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats, fishing and tourism industries, and human health problems that have continued through 2013. The total discharge is estimated at 4.9 million barrels (210 million US gal; 780,000 m3)!

We have had our share of such instances over time, with the occasional oil spill from merchant vessels, pollution due to industrial wastes, the Chernobyl disaster, and closer home, the Bhopal gas tragedy. These disasters impact not only on the life of the ecological system but also on the livelihood of man for it puts an end to his basic necessities of food, clean air and water.

Humanity in 21st century is posed with serious challenges of rapid population growth fast depletion of resources severe environmental pollution and damage to fragile ecosystem through which life on earth survives. Increased level of industrial activities to meet the ever increasing demand of humankind has caused irreversible damage to the pristine ecosystem that earth once had.

So can the complex inter-relationship among population, need for growth and environment sustainability sustain?

Currently, we are facing a problem of population boom. Just India and China account for nearly half of the world’s population. With India poised to overtake China by 2030, there is immense pressure on our agricultural fields to produce food to feed our massive population of 1.2 billion people. To sustain such a huge population, rapid increase in the economic and industrial activities must also take place. These factors further tend to put immense pressure on our ecosystem.

As we all know there is a constant increase in the population of the world and there is limited availability of land. Thus it has led to a number of conflicts like conflicts between the citizens/ civil society organizations and industries for land, as in case of POSCO plant at Paradip,  between industries and government for environmental laws, as in case of the VEDANTA ALUMINIUM PLANT at Niyamgiri. Not only in our country but all over the world such struggles can be seen.

Let’s imagine a situation where there is an industry levitating 10 feet above the ground. Drawing all its resources from space but showering all the monetary benefits on us!

Yes, this is impossible but it seems one of the best solutions for humans who have been struggling to prioritize between population parameter, development and environment.

Shifting our focusing to international arena USA, which has comparatively very less population than India and China, alone has contributed most towards the destruction of the ecological balance.

According to a study done by TATA Institute of Social Science, USA has used up, in 150 years nearly three times its carbon emission entitlement of over 200 years. And not only USA, EU and RUSSIA are also on the same side.

By now everybody must be thinking that I am only rambling about the problems but where are the solutions to these.

I want to remind everybody about a famous saying “Nature has everything to satisfy a man’s need but not his greed.”

We can’t just keep exploiting the nature to meet our aspirations and justifying our acts by saying that nature is very resilient!

Population, development and environment can have a synergistic relation if populations grow and developments are done keeping in mind the limitations of our Mother Nature. Its high time governments all over world shift their focus towards incorporating building environmental as an integral part of nation building. Devote a considerable part of their GDP towards developing technologies that will address various impediments towards environmental sustainability.

 From ages we are calling our environment as “Mother Nature” but it’s high time we start treating her like one.

Thank You 
Prateek Jena
First Year
IMI-Bhubaneswar