A day in the life of LIFE

The 4th day of July is usually famous owing to it being celebrated as the independence day of the USA. While the stars and stripes were fluttering in the US, the stage was set elsewhere back home in India in the Scotland of the East (better known as Shillong – the capital of the state of Meghalaya) for a pioneering purpose.
The inauguration of the first batch of the Indian Institute of Management was scheduled at the North Eastern Council Secretariat today. For the uninitiated, the 7th and the latest IIM has started operations in the hill city much against the expectations of many skeptics across the country.

The inauguration had Dr. Don Kupar Roy - the Hon. CM of Meghalaya as the Chief Guest, Sri T K Nayar (IAS) – The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, who presided over the function, and Sri Arjun Malhotra – The Co-founder of HCL and the current Chairman of Headstrong Inc. as the guest of honor.

The ambience of the well lit auditorium was further enhanced by the presence of other eminent dignitaries including the Director of IIM Shillong Sri Ashoke Dutta and the Chairman of the Board of Governers of IIM Shillong, Sri R N Dutta who incidentally is the Ex-Chairman of Price Waterhouse Coopers. The representation from the media included television channels such as NDTV, Doordarshan and several regional channels of the North East.

The program included talks from the various speakers who shared their vision on how the IIM would help benefit the North Eastern region by virtue of its presence as a center of excellence thus enabling the local population as well by way of leveraging the best practices and latest teaching pedagogy made available at the IIM.
The talk by Mr. Arjun Malhotra was indeed inspirational. While quoting Asia’s first Nobel laureate Sri Rabindranath Tagore, Mr. Malhotra emphasized that times have indeed changed and that the world now looks at India as an Intellectual and economic super power -the IITs and the IIMs would be pivotal in sustaining this momentum.
Prof. Ashoke Dutta was categorical in mentioning that despite several doubts and questions raised from different quarters, the IIM was set up in a record time of 6 months and emphasized that the State Government and the Board of Governors would do all in their capacity to model IIM Shillong as one of the best in the country. As quoted previously in the media, IIM Shillong will be equipped with the best IT infrastructure thus truly making it the first and the best tech savvy IIM of the 21st century.

It may be recalled that IIM Shillong was the first IIM to accept online applications with no additional fee for the same. IIM Shillong will also be the first IIM to hire foreign faculty especially from the USA in order to bring in the best in class global practices and business know how at the door step of its students.

With a battery of highly competent and distinguished faculty, idyllic surroundings amidst the un plundered nature and a batch of pioneering students with the zest to perform, the stage is all set to give the other IIMs and the rest of the B schools in the country, a run for their money.

But, for the moment, the journey has just begun…

Pic above: the Inaguration ceremony
Pic below: IIM Shillong Logo