IIM-A students interested in addressing issues in public policy

Updated on: Tuesday, October 23, 2012

While very few students at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) may be inclined to take up politics as a career, a large part of the student community seems interested in addressing issues in public policy.

About 117 students from the premier business school have enrolled for Globalizing resurgent India through innovative transformation (GRIIT) a course offered by IIM-A faculty Anil Gupta and former president of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

I am quite happy with the response of the students in GRIIT so far. I think the interest in public policy still remains very strong. Several very useful outputs are expected as in previous years, said Gupta.

The course seeks to advise public policy through a series of project proposals. Once the lectures conclude, students are required to submit project proposals for creating scenarios based on multiple options for specific policy and institutional changes.

Students also get an opportunity to work with Kalam as part of the course. Gupta, who has already received nominations of five change makers each from more than 80 per cent students, will shortlist and listen to the best presentations with Kalam on November 10, 2012.

In the past, IIM-A had encouraged student interaction with politicians, which also led to several students choosing a career in politics or interning with political parties. However, the last few years have seen poor response from students.

While GRIIT has attracted student interest, other courses on public policy have not generated much participation from the community this year. I do not see a decline in the interest in my course. It may be the case in some other courses on public policy, said Gupta, who introduced GRIIT in 2008 with 70-odd students.

Another elective course on public policy, which had 86 students enrolled in 2011 saw only 10 students this year.

According to Jagdeep Chhokar, former IIMA faculty and founder member, Association for Democratic Reforms, That public policy does not, or should not, interest management students, is a wrong notion. Business and management are vitally affected by public policy and business schools have to convince themselves of the importance of public policy to business.

IIM-A students interested in addressing issues in public policy

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