28th ILS by Sri M

IIM Calcutta organized the 28th Institute Lecture Series on. The talk was delivered by renowned spiritual guide, social reformer, author and educationist, Sri M. The talk focused on “Man’s Search for Happiness”, accompanied by Sri M’s account of his transformational journey, from a young boy to a spiritual leader, driven by discipline and dedication.

The event started with a welcome address by Shrikrishna G Kulkarni, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Calcutta. He provided a brief introduction about Sri M and spoke about how the spiritual leader has influenced his life as his guide and teacher.

The welcome address was followed by Sri M’s talk on how the human mind has a built-in tendency to search for happiness. He said, ‘’We search all over the world, forgetting that happiness is resident within us and, only when it is found within us, that we derive the complete satisfaction’’. Sri M further added, ‘one needs to maintain equanimity for praise as well as criticism and that one shouldn’t base his/her happiness and unhappiness on the basis of what others think of them.

He further went on to discuss that meditation has two parts – one is gathering all the energies so that it moves in a certain way and then the effort of finally letting it go. He said that Yoga aims to find a balance between the mind and body and shared some words of wisdom on how to live a better life and how to rejuvenate and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The talk was followed by an interactive discussion between the students and Sri M. The event concluded with a Vote of Thanks by the Director, Prof. Anju Seth.

IIM Calcutta hosted the first Amitava Bose Memorial Lecture

IIM Calcutta organized the first Amitava Bose Memorial Lecture on July 29. The lecture was delivered by Professor Debraj Ray, Julius Silver Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Science, Professor of Economics, New York University.

The event started with an address by Prof. Prashant Mishra, Dean, New Initiatives and External Relations where he spoke briefly about Late Professor Amitava Bose. This was followed by an introductory speech by Prof. Anju Seth, Director, IIM Calcutta who welcomed Prof. Debraj Ray to the inaugural lecture.

Prof. Debraj Ray started his speech with a brief account of his meeting and interactions with Prof. Amitava Bose. He recollected a conversation he had with Late Prof. Bose where they had discussed how structural transformation, technical progress and globalization can send industries into upheaval. He went on to then discuss ‘Aspirations, Inequality and Conflict’, a topic he has often advocated for through his work. He described how ‘Individual preferences fundamentally depend on the lives of others’ and how aspirations are multidimensional which involves consideration of parameters like income, dignity, good health, recognition by others, etc. He also presented a narrative on social interdependence.

The lecture was followed by an interaction between the students and Prof. Ray, and was concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Prof. Soumendranath Sikdar.