CONVOCATION ADDRESS TO IIHMR GRADUATING CLASS

Convocation Address to IIHMR graduating class

Chairman of the ceremony Shri M.L. Mehta, Director, Dr. S.D.Gupta, Deans, Faculty and staff of IIHMR, my student friends, ladies and gentlemen. First of all I will like to congratulate the graduating class and wish them all the success in their future career and life. My special congratulations to the gold medal winners in different schools of the Institute. By their performance they have set an example for others to follow. At the same time the Institute and its faculty should also be commended for their efforts in nurturing their talent.

Those among you who wish to pursue higher studies in your subjects can start their endeavor with the belief that it is exciting as well as challenging to explore the new dimensions of knowledge in their respective subjects. They will find immense scope in learning and application in their chosen subjects.

I believe that most of you are keen to start a career in the areas you have specialized. Whatever the area, you will find immense opportunities and daunting challenges. Be prepared for both: to seize the opportunities and to face the challenges. In doing so you are starting with several positive factors. First of all, you are graduating from an institution, which has created a name for itself in the world of academia, as well as the world of applications. IIHMR is a pioneering institution in health and hospital management recognized by all concerned for the quality of its training. The same insistence on the quality and relevance is reflected in its newer schools of Rural Management and Pharmacy. Your certificate of being trained in this institution will carry weight among the employers as much as in the society at large.

Fortunately for you the in the current environment,  formal and systematic knowledge in every domain is recognized and compensated. This was not so in the past, when the graduates had to ‘sell’ themselves in a cynical atmosphere. Of course, the discerning employers used to value native intelligence, experience, and capacity to hard work. Even today these are the attributes which have a premium. But the employers also expect that you have the domain knowledge. Today’s society is characterized as ‘knowledge society’. What will distinguish you from others is the deep knowledge of your subject and capacity to apply it in diverse circumstances. This is where you will, or should, try to score over others.

There are other aspects of modern society that you should be aware of. It is an ‘open’ society. We are expected to be transparent. With the present slew of corruption and scandals one may doubt whether we are indeed an open society. But please remember that exposure of all the misdeeds are also due to the fact that we expect transparency in dealings and we have provided measures to ensure that. If you wish to be successful in future life, respect the values of transparency.

Other cardinal virtue you will have to cultivate is to own your responsibility. Today one of the major defects of our system is that people try to ‘pass the buck’. But this is not the way the careers are built. To reach higher echelon you will have to take responsibility and prove that you are capable of carrying out such responsibility.

Despite the current atmosphere of doom and gloom, India is a land of immense opportunity. Its economic fundamentals are correct, its demography - characterizing it as a nation of young - young persons outnumbering those who depend on their earning -  and its democratic system of checks and balances, puts it in an enviable position among the group of emerging nations. Even China has not got this combination of favorable features. Today’s youth can take advantage of these positive features. There is no need to be cynical. Be positive in your approach.

At the same time, we cannot be blind to the disadvantages that the youth face today. Pace of economic growth has slackened. Even when the growth was buoyant, it was the ‘jobless growth”. But there also one can discern a silver lining. The stagnation in the growth of GDP is more due to stagnation in Industry. Service sector, in which most of you will be engaged, is not much affected. The jobs in the service sector are skill oriented. With your training in some of the useful skills you will not find yourself too handicapped.

Beyond getting a job or starting an enterprise, you have also to be mindful of the responsibilities you carry as a professional. There is always a professional approach, based on professional ethics. You should adhere to the ethical conduct expected in your chosen profession, whether it is codified or not.

 You also carry a responsibility of being the member of the community and the citizen of this country. If you think that there are things, which are wrong in your establishment or in your surroundings, be bold and try to correct. Al least do not be a party to wrongdoing. Be upright, be hard working, be responsible and make your parents, your community and your Alma meter, the Institute, proud of you.

I will end by giving you blessings, which I always used to give to the outgoing students in the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad, Subhasya Pantha. Let your path be righteous!

V.S.Vyas.

Jaipur, 24^th May,2013.