Monday 29 May 2017

School of Rural Management Alumni Manish Kalwaniya sharing his experience at IIHMR University

Convocation 2017

In everyone life there is a turning point where everything becomes change; it could be either positive or negative and same thing happened with me. This journey started on the day when I came in IIHMR first day and meet DrGoutam Sadhu, Dr Susmit Jain. I am ever grateful to both of them because they guided me to choose the right path. 


When I decided to carry out my post-graduation from IIHMR University I faced some problems but because of support of my batch mates and faculties, I try to overcome all the problems and go ahead for next step. I enjoyed every movement of this two-year journey with IIHMR and with my colleague, then if I say about field visits, classroom assignments, presentation, exams and Mather sir assignment, Tanjul mam internal examinations as well. All the things gave me a lot of practical knowledge, understanding about peoples and changed my way of thinking. I will always thankful to all faculties, my family and friends who assisted me in taking the decision about my future and their guidance and direction helped me in achieving my goal and because of their efforts and guidance, today I’m happily working with National Health System Resource Center, New Delhi. Today I’m so happy because I successfully completed my post-graduation in Rural Management from IIHMR University; and getting my degree, it’s a proud moment for me as well for my family to see myself at this position. I am grateful to IIHMR and its Faculty to building a platform which does not only enhance my skills as well made me more equipped to handle all kind of situations. I am so glad that I chose this path, even though it changed quite a bit from when I started college. Along with my college journey, I have learned so much about myself in many ways that I can't describe. But today I’m also feeling alone because from today I will not be part of IIHMR. Now I have to carry out my journey alone. But good thing is that IIHMR made me more skilled and ready to take the challenge and how to handle same and hope I will always get the support of all the faculties and friends in my life. 


 To end I would like to thank my parents as wall Dr Goutam Sadhu or Ms. Ratna Verma who always believe on me and support me on each and every step, I will always look forward to your support and guidance. I request all my friends please always be in touch with everyone.


Written by Manish Kalwaniya
Alumni School of Rural Management - IIHMR University




Thursday 25 May 2017

IIHMR UNIVERSITY AND BHARAT RURAL LIVELIHOOD FOUNDATION CONFER 29 STUDENTS FROM ITS FIRST BATCH OF RURAL LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM



BUILT CAPACITIES OF 29 TRIBAL YOUTHS FROM 6 STATES

JAIPUR, May 2017— The Rural Development sector today faces complex challenges of growth, equity, climate change, and social & economic security of the poor and vulnerable communities. This context has impressed upon the RD programmes of government and non-government organizations a growing need for intervention strategies that are reflective, robustly designed, and implemented through an innovative and adaptive approach.  It is therefore clear that there is a dire necessity to build capacities in the cadre of rural professionals. To action on the requirement of rural professionals, IIHMR University Jaipur and BRLF joined hands in November 2016 last year to build capacities of 30 students from 6 states of Central Indian Tribal belt. 29 of these students successfully completed their training of their Rural Livelihood Programme and were jointly conferred with certificates by IIHMR University and Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation. 


Dr. Vivek Bhandari, President, IIHMR University Jaipur said, “It is clear that there is an urgent need to address this capacity building challenge by preparing a cadre of rural professionals who are capable of engaging in the rural development sector specially at the sub-district levels; be it through NGOs, government institutions or as elected representatives of the PRIs and/or cluster level federation leaders.  To support this, IIHMR University and Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF) jointly announced the launch of the first batch of the Certificate Programme in Rural Livelihoods in November 2016 last year. The programme aimed at combining appropriate knowledge and skill components through a unique yet inclusive capacity building initiative. About 30 students were admitted to the certificate programme which included 8 from Orissa, 8 from Rajasthan, 5 from Maharashtra, 4 from Madhya Pradesh, 1 from Chhattisgarh and 4 from Jharkhand. “


Dr. SD Gupta, Chairperson, IIHMR University said, “About 70-75% population till date lives in Rural area and out of the 133-crore population over 17-18 crore people belong to the tribal belt. The Rural Livelihood programme of BRLF with IIHMR University aimed at training candidates to master the ability to empower oneself by self-teaching, training and learning by doing. IIHMR University is India’s foremost university committed to the health and well-being of people everywhere.  BRLF is an autonomous body set up by Ministry of Rural Development Government of India with an objective to facilitate civil society action for transforming lives and livelihoods in the central tribal adivasi belt in the country initially.  This Certificate Programme is the first among many initiatives of the collaboration between IIHMR University and the BRLF.”


Mr. Pramathesh Ambasta CEO Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation said, “The partnership of BRLF and IIHRM University has greatly enhanced capacities of these candidates who will ultimately bring in a paradigm shift in the rural development sector. Students of this programme have been exposed to tremendous practical knowledge and have received the best of theoretical knowledge. This exposure has proven livelihoods interventions from some of the most challenging parts of India. Pedagogically, the modules explored the embodiment of the concept of learning by doing. We sincerely thank IIHMR University and 15 knowledge partners under the CB initiative for making the certificate programme possible.  We also intend to allow at least 5 students from this programme to further pursue MBA Rural Management at the IIHMR University Jaipur.”


One of the key mandates of BRLF’s capacity building initiative was to create a pool of rural development professionals for supporting various development interventions of Government, CSOs and community at large. This initiative will be part of a series of capacity building programmes under the BRLF Capacity Building Initiative, designed and implemented as per the needs of target groups and of different institutions currently working in the sector (Government and CSOs). As we complete the first batch successfully, we intend to move on to the next batch as the course has been a game changer in the rural livelihoods sector. The design and delivery of the course has provided a unique opportunity to the tribal youth to learn various livelihoods domains and address the issue of growing shortage of trained human resources in the sector.
The programme was concluded by Dr. Ajay Dandekar ( Professor Shiv Nadar University, New Delhi), “The certificate programme had 16 different learning modules in rural livelihoods domain. Participants of the programme learnt these modules across 12 learning locations in 6 states of Central Indian tribal belt. These rural professionals have potentially engaged at block levels as drivers of positive change within Civil Society Organizations and Government Institutions facilitating effective implementation of social and economic security programmes/projects for tribal rural India.” He further said, “One should not leave their land for one’s own social needs. Its best we create them.”

The program’s most important motive was to focus on the development of capacities of tribal youth from 6 states of the Central Indian Tribal belt. BRLF and IIHMR University have brought together 15 leading organizations in the rural livelihoods sector to facilitate a multi-centre, multi-topic curriculum that cover different dimensions of rural livelihoods. For the first batch, 30 candidates were selected from states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh. These candidates belong to Scheduled Tribes, De-Notified Tribes/Notified Tribes, and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups/communities from across BRLF mandated geographies. The programme featured a rounded curriculum that explicitly recognizes the value of people’s knowledge and is enabled with cutting edge practice support tools.

Monday 22 May 2017

Convocation Ceremony Speech by Dr MK Bhan at IIHMR University

Dr MK Bhan’s speech
The Chairman and members of the IIHMR Board, Esteemed President of IIHMR, members of the faculty, IIHMR scholars and their respected families, all the distinguished  guests and invitees, the many friends who manage and support IIHMR, friends and colleagues.
I feel truly happy to be here today, in a city that I have loved for long, at an institution that has always inspired me and at an occasion when we celebrate the achievements of our young and worthy. Thank you for this opportunity. Truly honoured.
Today is an important milestone for our graduating scholars. Hearty congratulations to you all. It is a gratifying occasion for the families, a celebration of a role played well; for the faculty, an occasion to witness the fruits of their labour of love. There is no better way of spending life than nurturing the young and helping them become passionate, caring, effective members of the society. We are all blessed that our life and work is part of such an exciting mission.
Convocation is truly a time of celebration. Convocation is also an opportunity to invite the young scholars to reflect on the world they live in and the kind of life they may want to live.
The global community including our own cyclically drifts between optimism and cynicism. I am a perennial optimist. In more ways than not the world is a better place today. People live longer, they live better, they are healthier, more people have access to education and health, and there are fewer poor people today than before. Access to information is growing and people are more connected than ever before. Technology is transforming multiple facets of life even at the bottom of the social pyramid.  A child in Africa and South East Asia gets the same vaccines as the one born in America or Europe, fewer children die early in life, as is also true for women during pregnancy. It is good to look at how full the glass is than how empty it is.
It is at the same time unwise to be euphoric and ignore the massive unmet needs and challenges at home, and world at large; lack of trust, social and economic disparity, poor environment and climate, lack of access to basic services, lack of security and empowerment of women, utter disregard for evidence and facts, which are increasingly replaced by prejudice and unsubstantiated opinion. Many of the young, the disadvantaged and elderly are still unsafe. People live longer but this extended life is often neither secure nor graceful?
Is optimism then justified? I believe so because humans have shown resilience as a species to solve problems on an unprecedented scale. To succeed then we need   a scientific approach to life, an ability to generate and deploy knowledge and technology for shaping a better, fairer, interesting, more secure world and the nation. This is what IIHMR has prepared you for and this is the mission that we charge you with today.  This is what wiser of the parents and elders of our society have always taught us.
To preserve our beautiful country, culture and people, we must learn to separate noise from clarity, we must act as we would like others to do, and we must listen as much as we teach. One is only as educated as the way live and act in life. Knowledge is of value only when translated into good practices.
India is alive and living. What a time to be young, in a country that feels young. There is hope and positivism today.
We are a young population. The true potential of a young nation can be realized if we nurture the young through education blended with life experience. It is experience that helps us to answer the most critical of questions- who am I, what is my gift, my purpose, what is the life I want to live, the person I want to be? Education provides the perspective to interpret and understand our experience but it is the latter that gives the insight. I urge all the young scholars to live a life that is full, to immerse in the community and the society around you.  You cannot discover yourself without connecting with those around you.
India needs a workforce but also leadership in every sphere of life. Leadership can be at any level, on any scale and in any context. Leadership is a declaration of intent to strive for excellence, to accept responsibility for people and issues beyond oneself, to accept accountability for ones contributions and actions by others. Wonderful institutions such as IIHMR provide scholars like you, the opportunity to acquire skill as well as leadership ability.  This period at IIHMR will guide you in the future journey.
I have often wondered what separates leaders in different fields and sectors from other good men and women. I believe a vision, an ability to visualize tomorrow, the grasp of the big picture of life and this universe is the most critical. Worthy men and women acquire unique attraction by a mix of values and adaptability, compassion and ability to forgive, respect for both creativity and service and the ability to feel responsible for others in addition to self. Leaders never stop to learn. Extraordinary people have stable values but they are also highly adaptive to changing circumstances. This is what nature and evolutionary biology also teaches us. What is true for extraordinary individuals also characterizes exceptional countries and states. I invite you all, young scholars to embark on this journey of acquiring leadership. Live life in a way that graces life itself.
The story of IIHMR is itself a lesson in leadership. Its founders realized a need for science and evidence driven public health at a time when our country was preoccupied with sick people than sick populations. Famous doctors advised political leaders because there were very few public health professionals. As I observed the IIHMR family over the years, there was much to admire and learn from. The IIHMR family has a modest way of handling its successes, it is also honest in recognizing that the journey to excellence is unending, it is willing to adapt to changing time and needs. You all should feel proud of being part of this family of institutions as I am.
IIHMR has recognized the need for quality human resource at tertiary, secondary and primary care levels. It has brilliantly linked education in facility care and management with public health education. Its programs reflect awareness of the importance of technology in health systems and hospitals. IIHMR significantly contributes to generation of evidence and its synthesis for shaping policy at state and center level. It is a dependable ally and a trusting collaborator for all those engaged in pursuit of universal health care.. It emphasizes through its educational and other efforts, the inescapable link between addressing social determinants of health and the care of the sick. The excellent professionals produced have significantly contributed to improving management and processes in our institutions and systems. I wish a great future for the IIHMR network of institutions and express my deep respect for the leadership. The main barrier to achieving universal health care in India is shortage of human resource. We need an accelerated effort by all concerned to achieve in a decade what might otherwise take a quarter of a century.
Finally, my heartfelt congratulations to all the scholars, to their families and their teachers. I wish you all a bright future, a life rich in experience, accomplishment and contribution. Do remember, in the end it is about making our  fellow citizens and the environment they live in healthier, more secure and full of grace. Said the father of the nation, “practice science with humanism”. Your journey of action begins today. Safe travel.

Jai Hind !