The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) will introduce a new elective course on cost-cutting and cost management from this year. IIM-A Director, Samir Barua, said the course aims at training its executive students (Post-Graduate Programme in Management for Executives) in dealing with the current economic meltdown.

While interacting with the media to announce the beginning of the new academic session at IIM-A from June 22, Barua said: “This course module is most suited in the present context and is probably a much needed one.”

Other modules to be introduced in this academic session include reviving the course module for the insurance sector and a course relating to the publishing industry, he added.

Also, marking a significant development in removing gender disparity from the echelons of higher education in the country, IIM-A has seen a three-fold increase in the number of girl students in the postgraduate management programmes this year.

There are 53 girl students out of a total of 334 (15.87%) this year, as compared to only 17 out of 297 (5.72%) in 2008-09. Barua added: “Considering the unexpected rise in the number of girl students this year, we are upgrading the facilities in the campus, including the dormitories for girls.”

Briefing about the last year’s performance of the institute, Barua expressed his satisfaction over the placement process, which was successfully completed amid fears of economic meltdown.

Stressing on the improvements needed in the institute, he said: “We need to intensify our efforts in water conservation, reduce power consumption, waste recycling as well as making the new campus greener.”

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