?Healthy? first day at IIM-L

HEALTH RUN! That’s how a fresher described the rather unusual scene on the IIM-L campus on Thursday evening.

It appeared like an exodus, at first. Several boys and girls running around the campus! Then one noticed, some motorcyclists and some youths keeping track of the runners and asking aloud, “What’s this?”

“Health run,” a fresher laughed. What’s that? Ragging? “Well! Call it ‘health run’ as two rounds of campus are good for health anyway,” the fresher remarked.

Apparently this was a ‘polite introduction’ (call it, induction, if you please) to the IIM-L campus for the fresher(s) who have come here from across India. And, as
a fresher rightly put it, “Students in medical and engineering colleges should take a lesson from IIM-L on how to do things properly.”

Prior to the rather “refreshing” ‘health run’, IIM-L’s Prof Dharmendra Sengar, chairman, Students Affairs, put the ‘aspiring CEOs’ at ease when he interacted with them in Classroom No. CR 203. CR 203 was buzzing with excitement as 297 anxious youngsters aspiring to become management leaders took their first class on the IIM-L campus on Thursday.

They squirmed nervously at first then gained confidence after Prof Sengar, made them comfortable. “Any complaints or suggestions,” the professor asked.

“Insects!” they replied. “Don’t worry, those insects would stop bugging you after they realise that you are the new and rightful claimants of the hostel room,” the professor replied in a lighter vein. Immediately, any tension that the youngsters might have felt while entering the class was gone. Now, more confident, the students pushed forward with their demands as soon as Prof Sengar asked them to state their wishes. “A TT table sir,” a group demanded. “Granted,” the professor replied amidst a round of applause from the management students.

Aware that he had the responsibility of making the students feel comfortable, the professor told the students thus: “In the concise oxford dictionary, there is no place for play and rest. You won’t find the words ‘Play’ and ‘Rest’ in the concise version of the Oxford dictionary. But, ‘Work’ finds a top priority in this dictionary as it is placed 16th in alphabetical order there. However, I do not want you to follow anything with a ‘concise’ mindset. Give adequate time to both play and rest and work would be the logical beneficiary!”

Prof Sengar also made them aware of the rules of the institute and advised them that to behave in a manner befitting an IIM-L student.

“You are now the ambassadors of our institute. Your conduct should be graceful, both inside and outside the campus,” he said as the students nodded in unison. Some students wanted to know whether they could hear music on the campus. The professor nodded in the affirmative and added, “as long as your music doesn’t become a nuisance for others, that is!” Internet facility, some students wanted. Some required a whitewash in their rooms. The professor replied, “Your IIM-L stay would brainwash you anyway into completely confident individuals. So, needn’t worry.” Introduction over, it is time for hardcore management lessons from July 3!