The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, in an exemplary move, has stepped in with a landmark decision to launch a course on Bhagavad Gita to teach management lessons to corporate professionals.
IIM to learn from Bhagavad Gita:
Reportedly, the corporate professionals will learn values from Gita ‘to explore contemporary management concepts, conflicts, dilemmas, and trade-offs in business’ from December 13.
As per the IIM-A website, ‘Lessons from Bhagavad Gita suggest powerful ways to promote management practices that are consistent with the business model and yet ethical.’
An IIM official while interacting with the media, asserted, “Lessons from Bhagavad Gita suggest powerful ways to promote management practices that are consistent with business models and yet ethical. This course is focused on early reflections on those learnings.”
The induction of Bhagavad Gita as the course aims at developing insights for making effective choices, strengthening concepts of contemporary management and value-based leadership. “The course will also enable participants to develop competence to face challenging times in their career with confidence. The program aims to sensitize them on ways to develop themselves into effective leaders in the corporate world,” the official had added further.
Bhagwan Sri Krishna’s life is the best example to teach effective leadership:
The one who initiated the move to include the course is Professor Sunil Maheshwari. He said, “We teach through a case study method. And if we have to teach managers these skills, what better way than the life of Lord Krishna? His is the best life example to teach effective leadership.”
He also informed that he surveyed corporates before designing the course. “What struck me the most is that the credibility score was very poor, meaning there should be more credible managers and leaders in corporations if we want to move in the right direction.”
Earlier this year, The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) had also introduced a new curriculum under which Gita and Ramayana were considered to be taught in about 100 madrassas across the country.
The higher education department in Madhya Pradesh had also introduced chapters on Ramcharitmanas and Bhagavad Gita in syllabuses in colleges across the state. The higher education minister Mohan Yadav had stated, “What is the harm in teaching about a country’s culture to students? If this is interpreted as saffronisation of education then yes we are saffronising the syllabus.”
While liberals are keen on the abrahamisation of the country, IIM Ahmedabad has set an example to teach everyone the necessity of learning Hindu history. To learn Bhagavad Gita is not only necessary on religious grounds but also helps when it comes to facing the uphill battles of life.