Saturday, March 15, 2008
After CAT, it is RAT at IIM, Bangalore
Test aimed at strengthening research programme; scholars
to be paid more
- It will make the job of candidates and the
institute simple
- Engineers, science, arts postgraduates are
eligible
BANGALORE: In an attempt to strengthen its research programme,
the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B) is all
set to introduce the Research Aptitude Test (RAT) for its fellowship
programme in management on the lines of the Common Admission
Test (CAT) amid plans to double its intake, increase the stipend
and attract more corporate sponsorships for doctoral fellows.
In an attempt to strengthen its research programme, IIM-B will
conduct RAT, which will be modelled along the lines of CAT in
terms of content and format, and the subsequent interviews are
scheduled to be conducted on April 10 and April 11.
Previously students had to write the CAT, GRE or G-MAT and these
scores were mandatory.
“We found that many candidates, especially those who are
working, are discouraged from joining us because they do not
want to go through these exams. From this year they will only
have to appear for RAT to make their job and ours simpler,”
says Deepak Sinha, chairperson of the Fellowship Programme.
Engineering graduates with two years of work experience or postgraduates
in arts and science are eligible to apply for the programme.
Intake
The intake of students is also slated to double in the coming
academic year, and the management has secured three corporate
fellowships of Rs. 3 lakh a year from SAP Labs India, EADS and
the Supply Chain Management Centre, in addition to the existing
one sponsored by Infosys.
IIM-B will soon be on a par with IIM, Ahmedabad, in terms of
facilities and research activities, he added.
IIM-B has received around 700 applications this year for the
research programme which is completed in four to seven years.
The financial assistance for research scholars will be extended
to five years from four and the annual contingency for academic
expenses will be doubled to Rs. 50,000 a year. Monthly stipends
for students have also been increased from Rs. 10,000 to Rs.
15,000 and house rent allowance goes up to Rs. 8,000.
“We will be looking at major expansion and at improving
infrastructure and accommodation. Besides corporate sponsorships,
we are looking at many ways to strengthen the research programme,”
said Pankaj Chandra, director of IIM-B. To encourage students
to participate in seminars and paper presentations abroad, an
additional amount of Rs. 1 lakh will be given to each student
Faculty research
“We have a good research programme, but we are not able
to nurture faculty research due to the disparity in pay scale.
I hope that the Sixth Pay Commission will de-link institutions
like ours and help us upgrade our pay scales to be able to attract
and retain talent,” said Prof. Chandra.
Courtesy: The Hindu
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