Harsha Bhogle, wife Anita, Nykaa chief Falguni among those on IIM boards

As industry representatives with an emotional connection to the prestigious business schools, the alumni are expected to guide the decisions of the boards.

Harsha Bhogle, who is an IIM Ahmedabad graduate, has been nominated to the board of IIM, Udaipur. Anita Bhogle, who also studied in the same institute, is now a member of the board of governors of IIM Jammu.

Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, speaker and author Anita Bhogle, beauty products maker Nykaa’s founder and former investment banker Falguni Nayar, and ReNew Power Limited chief Sumant Sinha are among the graduates of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) who have now been snapped up by various IIMs for board positions — in keeping with the new IIM Act passed last year that mandated alumni from the IIMs on the boards.

“There is a requirement that up to five alumni should be on the board of every IIM. Several IIM graduates who are now big names in different fields are part of these boards,” said a government official who asked not to be named.

To be sure, since there are 20 IIMs now, with many being set up recently, the newer IIMs have been allowed to taken on alumni from other IIMs on their board.

Harsha Bhogle, who is an IIM Ahmedabad graduate, has been nominated to the board of IIM, Udaipur. Anita Bhogle, who also studied in the same institute, is now a member of the board of governors of IIM Jammu. Another IIM Ahmedabad alumna, Falguni Nayak is also on the board of IIM Bodhgaya. Sumant Sinha, who is the brother of Union minister Jayant Sinha, studied at IIT Delhi and then IIM Calcutta. He is on the board of his own alma mater, IIM Calcutta.

“Sinha was appointed as a member last year. His name again figures in the reconstituted board,” the government official said.

The idea of getting alumni on the board isn’t new, but the new IIM Act codified it. As industry representatives with an emotional connection to the prestigious business schools, the alumni are expected to guide the decisions of the boards.

Another eminent alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, Sachit Jain, the vice chairman and managing director of the Vardhaman group, is on the board of IIM Amritsar. Sridevi Raghavan from Kozhikhode is a senior vice president of HDFC. She is also a member of the board for IIM Kozhikhode.

Sanhjay Mukherjee, an IPS officer who graduated from IIM Calcutta, is on the school’s board.

“Some of the members of the newly constituted boards have also been repeated, especially in the older IIMs. However, many have been appointed for the first time. The IIM boards are star-studded. And they will be more so when the positions marked specially for eminent members are filled up,” a senior human resource development (HRD) ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

Following the passage of the IIM Act 2017, the HRD ministry in consultation with the law and justice ministry, initiated the process of re-constitution of boards for the IIMs. The process is underway.

 Source: Hindustan Times dated January 14, 2019

https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/harsha-bhogle-wife-anita-nykaa-chief-falguni-among-those-on-iim-boards/story-CnPWS1nIOdpAoHLZS2k38L.html

Lateral breakthroughs: NEW DIRECTION Consultancies, fellowships, even senior positions in govt are now open to graduates and executives, and new institutes are helping students prepare

This approach of lateral entry into the government has worked well in countries such as the us and UK. if implemented comprehensively, it will help bring in fresh ideas and new approaches to governance here too. DEVASHISH SHARMA, founding member of PeopleStrong, an HR firm

Not all government jobs require an entrance exam. Lateral entry allows qualified candidates — those with a relevant graduate or postgraduate degree, and / or experience in the field — to bypass the civil service exams and directly interview for consultant positions.

“Such candidates can apply for positions in government bodies such as NITI Aayog, the National Skills Development Council and Quality Council of India,” says Luis Miranda, member of the governing council at the Indian School of Public Policy. “If there is an opening for the position of a risk management consultant in these institutions, for instance, MBAs and chartered accountants are accepted. If there is a vacancy for the position of an urban planning consultant, your architecture degree could help you get a job.”

Right now, the job profiles available are a bit scattered, says Devashish Sharma, founding member and chief of strategic accounts and alliances at PeopleStrong, a human resource solutions firm.

“Most of these jobs are for consultants, but there are also positions open for fellows and even joint secretaries in certain departments.”

In June last year, the central government invited lateral entry applications for 10 joint secretary positions from “individuals with expertise in the areas of revenue, financial services, economic affairs, agriculture, road transport and highways, new and renewable energy, civil aviation, and commerce”.

“This approach of lateral entry into the government has worked well in countries such as the US and UK,” says Sharma. “If implemented more comprehensively, it could help bring in fresh ideas and new approaches to governance.” CORRIDORS OF POWER Towards that end, the Indian School of Public Policy, a Delhibased private institute, will launch its flagship programme in policy design and management in August.

“The one-year Master’s equivalent course will help students learn about what the government is looking for in lateral entry candidates, and what such a job would entail. Students will learn leadership skills, administration and communication,” Miranda says.

Faculty will include senior academics, policy experts and former administrators. “The plan is to have students placed with government organisations, consulting firms, thinktanks and maybe even run for election at the end of the programme.”

Graduates can also apply directly for fellowship programmes such as the state government’s Chief Minister Fellowship Programme and the fellowship programme of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

The central government also launched the India Smart Cities fellowship and the Delhi government announced an Urban Leadership Fellowship last year.

Before deciding to make the move, make sure it’s the right one for you. “These jobs are generally contractual, so you may not get the desired career growth, and you also will likely not get the type of job security that generally comes with a government position,” says Sharma. “Secondly, you should know that it’s very different from working in a corporate setup. There are processes in place and intricate protocols to follow. There is considerably less democracy and much stronger power structures in place.”

Source: Hindustan Times dated January 16, 2019