Rohtak (Haryana) [India], 2nd December 2023: The Indian Institute of Management Rohtak had the distinct honor of hosting Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, the Hon’ble Governor of Haryana, for a keynote address and interaction with students and faculty of IIM Rohtak, followed by an insightful interaction with the students. Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana, reviewed all the work done by the institution by interacting with students and faculty of IIM Rohtak. He also reviewed and saw all presentation made to him regarding the programs offered, clubs and committees, research output, consulting and executive education. He also inquired about student life and student activities from various students.
Prof. Dheeraj Sharma, Director, IIM Rohtak, along with faculty and staff of IIM Rohtak welcomed the esteemed guest, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana, and sought his guidance. He expressed immense honor and privilege at having the Governor visit the IIM Rohtak, an institute of national importance, for the first time. In his welcome address, he urged the students to find ways to contribute not only to the corporate world but also to the society at large. He highlighted the institute’s commitment to serving as the research arm for the State of Haryana and the government of Indiaby pointing out work done by the institute for both the state and the country. Emphasizing the institute’s impactful research, he mentioned the institute’s efforts in actively conducting assessments and offering consultancy services to pivotal government agencies. He concluded by highlighting the successes of IIM Rohtak graduates, both MBA and doctoral students, in various corporate and academic endeavors. This includes serving as consultants in both private firms and various government bodies and becoming faculty members in other IIMs.
The welcome address was followed by presentations from different student bodies who highlighted the institute’s achievements. The presentation focused on three aspects: programs, consulting services and research. IIM Rohtak distinguishes itself as a leading institution with a student body exceeding 1500, making it the largest IIM in terms of enrollment. The flagship programme of PGP is internationally accredited by AMBA. The institution has earned a noteworthy global ranking of 151+ in the QS-World University Rankings 2024 and secured the 12th position in the management category in the NIRF India Rankings 2023. As far as the batch profile of PGP is concerned, IIM Rohtak has consistently maintained more than 70% female representation in the last three years. The student body is drawn from 30 states and union territories, which adds to the rich and varied academic community. As part of its social commitment, two batches of PGP have completed the Rural Engagement Programme, conducting surveys across the 22 districts of Haryana to assess the awareness and effectiveness of government policies in various sectors.
The institute provides consulting services to multiple, critical government agencies. In collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, IIM Rohtak did an impact assessment of viewership of “Mann ki Baat.” The institute also plays a crucial role in projects with organizations such as the Army Management Studies Board, Central Armed Police Forces, and Ministries of Agriculture and Commerce by engaging in impactful collaborations. IIM Rohtak has also conducted consultancy projects in research with the Central Government and the Government of Haryana including the Ministry of Tourism, Department of Post and Telegraph and Ministry of Consumer Affairs. It also runs 25 short-duration management development programmes (MDP) for senior government officials and private enterprises. It conducts in-company programs for organizations, including CRPF, BIS LIC, ITBP, Tata AIG, Indian Police Services and Haryana Police Services.
IIM Rohtak consistently ranks among the top three IIMs in terms of research output per faculty. Notably, the faculty members at IIM Rohtak have achieved the top 2% positions in Stanford University Global Rankings, having produced an impressive tally of over 10+A* papers and 75+A* papers in recent years. The institute published 101 publications from faculty members, 75 articles in journals, seven conference papers, 11 newspapers and magazine articles in the year 2022-2023, helmed by Prof Dheeraj Sharma.
After the reviewing all the presentation made by students and faculty, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana, commenced with his address. He commended the institute for its insightful research initiatives and valuable societal contributions and acknowledged IIM Rohtak’s contribution to society, the people of Haryana, and the government. He extended additional felicitations to Professor Dheeraj Sharma for his leadership elevating the institute to new heights. Interacting with the students, he highlighted the importance of regularly engaging in co-curricular and physical activities for improving physical and mental fitness. In that context, he appreciated the institute for pioneering the inclusion of Yoga sessions in the curriculum. He also reminded the students about the importance of individual social service for the betterment of the country. He suggested that institute must prepare students for technological environment characterized by Artificial intelligence, augmented reality, machine learning, 3D printing, and data science. He remind the institute administration that value-based education should be the focus and was happy to note that all students had imbibed good values and had positive attitude.
He emphasized that by 2030, approximately three crore new technical jobs will be created. He was confident that with appropriate technical education it was very likely that two crore jobs out the three crore new jobs will be taken by Indians. He encouraged IIM Rohtak students to take some of those two crore jobs. In his closing remarks, he highlighted the importance of research and suggested students should be curious to become better researchers. Recommending students to read Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography, he advised them to combine simple living with high thinking.
Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana particularly appreciated the Jammu Kashmir women internship program that institute offers every year. He spoke that he had personally met all the Jammu and Kashmir women interns and found that interning at IIM Rohtak had a major impact on them and will help them shape their careers and lives. He encouraged the Director to continue with the internship for J&K women.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Dheeraj Sharma, Director, expressed his gratitude towards the Hon’ble Governor for delivering words of guidance to the students. He recommended the student council to create a compendium of the life stories of the great Indian scientists, in order to foster scientific values among current and future students. He encouraged the students to develop scientific temper and pursue scientific enquiries that serve the greater good of the society. Referring to the concept of India becoming a Vishva Guru, he underscored the importance of curiosity and imagination in making the thought a reality. To thrive in the technological age, he advised students to embrace new game-changing technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, the Internet of Things, and 3D printing. Underscoring the role of values in education, he alluded to the idea of ‘Adarsh’ and emphasized the importance of spiritual intelligence to guide students to achieve their goals.