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The Indian Institute of Management, Raipur convocated 147 students from the Post Graduate Program-2016-18 batch, 49 students from the Post Graduate Program-2015-17 batch, 10 students from the Post Graduate Program for working executives-2016-18 batch and 8 students from the Fellow program in Management in the ceremony held on 10th April, 2018. 

IIM 7th annual convocation

The 7th Annual Convocation was held by the Institute. The ceremony witnessed the presence of Chief Guest Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Defence Minister of India and Guest of Honour Dr. Raman Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Distinguished personalities like Mrs. Shyamala Gopinath, Chairperson, Board of Governors and Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Raipur hosted the event on behalf of the Institute .

Donning the ceremonial robes, the students came together one last time to celebrate the accomplishments over the two years of hard work and struggle.

The Chief Guest Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman,  applauded the Institute for its futuristic programme where students are awarded for academic performance. She also expressed her pleasure over the fact that the Institute encourages women participation as well as students from various academic backgrounds. She said that in these challenging times where there is a churn at global level, there are a lot of conflicting ideologies. She cited how a  socialist country like China is opening up its economy and countries like the US are becoming more and more protectionist. She urged the young, well trained and imaginative minds of IIM Raipur to come forward in areas such as Public Administration  and Local Village Reformation.

IIM 7th annual convocation

The Guest of Honour Dr. Raman Singh told the students to be fearless. Quoting from his experience of managing  the State of Chhattisgarh , he enumerated his achievements in diverse spheres ranging from public distribution system,  education and healthcare. He advised the students not to be disappointed by failures but to analyse them and learn from them. He emphasized on the optimum utilization of all energies towards a definite goal and  contribute to the development of the nation, Mrs Shyamala Gopinath called upon the moral and ethical values of the students, asking them to be responsible citizens, whether as an employee or in an entrepreneurial role. She also congratulated the families of the students for inculcating in them the pursuit of excellence.

Earlier, Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Raipur congratulating the students and faculty members, enumerated their various achievements. He applauded the eight Fellowship students,  entrusting them to the responsibility of becoming excellent researchers and teachers. He also congratulated all the students for all achievements, academic and extracurricular. He urged them to dream, but also to take actions to make them possible.

Over the years since inception, to strengthen its international ties, IIM Raipur has signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MOU) with some of the finest business schools in the world including Grenoble Ecole de Management, France; IESEG School of Management, France; HLL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Germany;  IPADE Business School, Mexico and several others. These MoUs focus on student and faculty exchange programmes, collaborative research publications, organizing joint conferences and academic programmes.

IIM 7th annual convocation

In the Director’s report, Prof. Bhasker highlighted the increase in the number of partner institutes making the student exchange programme more robust and thus giving more students the opportunity of cross-cultural exposure this year. The number of students going abroad went up to 55 this year. IIM Raipur has introduced financial support to meritorious students to participate in the exchange program. It also encourages students to participate in international events of repute by giving financial support for up to 30 students every year.

The batch of PGP 2016-18 had a male-female ratio of 68:32 and the percentage of students with prior work experience was 59%.  The students came from a  variety of backgrounds such as engineering, arts, commerce, science, management, medical and pharmacy.

Students of the outgoing batches proved themselves not only in academics, but also won several accolades in extracurricular activities. Some of the outstanding achievements were in competitions such as Science Slam,Tata Steelathon, Tata Crucible Quiz, CFA Challenge and RB Mavericks.

IIM 7th annual convocation

The IIM Raipur convocation ceremony also saw gold medals being given away for scholastic performance. The Gold Medal for Overall Performance was awarded to Mr. Parth Sarthi Sahoo, while the BOG Chairperson’s Gold Medal was awarded to Mr. Sai Dayitva Gaur. The Director’s Gold Medal was awarded to Ms. Garima Bisht and the PGP Chairperson’s Gold Medal was awarded to Mr. Yash Wardhan and Mr. Prateek Garg.  The Gold Medal for PGPWE was awarded to Ms. Jaya Gupta.

Mr. Parth Sarthi Sahoo, shared his thoughts regarding his journey:  “It was a great learning  experience. The two years give you an opportunity to explore the unchartered territories, push your limits and most importantly- know more about yourself. Also, it feels great to have an excellent peer group and alumni base to interact and learn from.”

Ms.Garima Bisht who received the Director’s Gold Medal said that her stay at IIM Raipur was a journey of personality transformation, “Coming as a shy girl, these two years have actually made me a social person. The friend circle that I made here have had a huge part in my development. Peer learning and healthy competition have encouraged me to always strive to be better, whether academically or in extracurricular activities.”

Mr. Yash Wardhan who was awarded the PGP Chairperson’s Gold Medal expressed his views saying: “When I first came to IIM Raipur, I was a little disappointed and I’d never thought I’d like this place. Two years have passed and leaving this place has become difficult for me because doing an MBA taught me to be not just Masters of Consumer Behaviour, Marketing Communication but a Master who believes now that he has full control over his life. I think MBA should be made compulsory for all the professions. The teachers, the batch mates and each and everyone here have contributed in making me a better person each day.”

IIM 7th annual convocation

Ms. Jaya Gupta, who started in 2015, continued the programme after battling cancer and went on to receive the Gold Medal. She is a source of inspiration for all of us to keep going and achieving success in the face of hardship. 

The campus was a scene of festivities and emotional moments with farewell parties, group photos, selfies and celebrations. The family members of the students exchanged notes of the success of their wards and immensely enjoyed the graduation ceremony.

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