Ahmedabad: The graduating batch of Fellow Programme in Management 2018 rewrites yet another chapter in the history of IIMA, as it presents an example that harnesses gender equity and equality not just in the number of doctoral researchers but also as future academicians. The increase in the ratio of female-male graduates to 50:50 (2018 batch) from 25:75 (2017 batch) and less than 10% women in 2016 signals the shift towards creating equal spaces towards progress and development for both women and men. Kudos! to all women and the equally competitive men.
Prof Amit Garg, Chairperson – FPM, IIMA said, “The increasing gender balance in the graduating class indicates women are rising much faster than men in acquiring high levels of specialization in management education at IIMA”.
Graduating Year Total Male Female
2018 16 8 8
2017 18 14 4
2016 12 11 1
Ms Biswajita Parida, FPM (Marketing) student said, “The role of gender diversity cannot be emphasized more in the educational institutes aspiring to produce world class research output. Research indicates that significant differences exist between male and female brains in terms of information processing, learning, dealing with emotions, perception, memory, and multi-tasking abilities. Therefore male and female minds need to equally participate and brainstorm together to bring about wholesome yield which have implications for the mass. In this regard, the leading management institute of the country, IIM Ahmedabad, has set an example with this graduating batch of its Fellows with equal number of male and female candidates. This is a significant step towards signaling a new beginning in research oriented programmes. This will not only inspire more females to opt for doctoral studies but also motivate them to think beyond the skewed gender ratio currently existing in this domain.”
The IIMA offers one of the most prominent and sought after doctoral programme in management in India. Our doctoral programme graduated its first student in 1974 and since then 349 doctoral students have been conferred with the title, “Fellow of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (FPM).” We provide a thriving intellectual ecosystem for our doctoral students to chase knowledge and to ponder some of the most critical issues in management and corporate world – in India and internationally, and in the pursuit create solutions and new knowledge.
Mr. P.K. V. Kishan, FPM (Economics) student said “It is about balance and realization of true potential. A balanced ratio of both enrollments and graduates go a long way in improving the intrinsic value-add to each gender and the instrumental value in sending
across a signal that efforts are being recognized and the fate of the hitherto under-represented gender no longer lies with circumstances but with one’s own industry.”
Ms. Sarita Vishwanathan, FPM (Public Systems Group) student states, “Today, we can proudly say that each one of us stand here as graduate students purely on the basis of merit and not as a result/consequence of quota or any other form of allocation/apportionment”.
