Written by: Shiv Sahay Singh
3 min readKolkataAug 6, 2009 03:59 AM IST
First published on: Aug 6, 2009 at 03:59 AM IST
With 408 students the present batch of the Indian Institute of Management,Calcutta (IIM-C) is not only the largest among the IIMs in the country,it also contains an eclectic bunch of students with various skills and experience.
From a contestant at Indian Idol season 2 to a professional rock climber and a student who is interested in starting a butterfly farming chain,this batch has it all.
Vivekananda M from Puducherry said: “To convert my idea into reality I need a strong base in management. That was the main reason why I took PGDM in IIM-C. The professors who took the interview advised me to do a term paper (in the 2nd year) in butterfly farming to get a holistic view of the entire process.” He was working as a programme analyst at Cognizant.
A butterfly farm is a place where butterflies are bred in an artificial environment from egg to adult stage.
According to Vivekananda,starting a butterfly farm would take about Rs 10 to 15 lakh. “Once I get enough information on the entire farming process,I will start my business as soon as possible,” he said.
Another student brings the talent of playback singing to the premier management institute. Adamya Chandra (23) from Lucknow,a graduate in mechanical engineering,has participated in Indian Idol 2. Although he could not make it to the top 30,he feels that this exposure to a national competition will help him in his professional life.
Chanderdeep Ekka,a BE in IT from Jadavpur University,has been a professional rock climbing instructor for the last two years. According to Ekka,he does not want a career in rock climbing or mountaineering as it has a limited demand in India.
Instead,after a few years of work experience he wants to start a company for equipment and promotion of adventure sports in India. Ekka is from Binnaguri in West Bengal.
About seven students who have enrolled for the 2009-11 batch at IIM-C have their own start ups.
A number of students in the batch also have the experience of working in the social sector and have been involved in rural upliftment and education of slum children,the external relations cell of IIM-C pointed out.
The number of the engineering graduates in the year has increased to 94 per cent compared to last year’s 91 per cent.
The number of students with science,commerce and humanities background have dropped considerably this year. In the present batch there are 19 foreign students.
Chinese,Bengal varsities tie up for maximum gains
In a major boost to ties between West Bengal and China,the University of Calcutta,Rabindra Bharati University and Visva-Bharati University of West bengal have signed MoUs with the Chinese Yunan Universities for collaboration in the area of social sciences and Chinese language. Other than universities,colleges like Bijoygarh Jyotisroy College have also entered into an agreement of cooperation with the Chinese counterparts. While these universities have already agreed on mutual cooperation,other varsities like Bengal Engineering and Science University and Jadavpur University are in talks for mutual collaboration. A high-level delegation from Yunan province,comprising 18 universities and colleges,is on a visit to the city to explore areas of possible cooperation with the varsities in West Bengal. Shiv Sahay Singh
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