Business school placements like cattle fair, says Tata official

Pradhan found a striking similarity between the hyped placement system at B-schools and famous Pushkar cattle fair  while delivering a lecture at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad  as part of Confluence- 2011. 

Cattle parade

There is Pushkar mela in Rajasthan where cattle are paraded before the potential buyers every year.

“And then we have business school placements here. Placements held at B-Schools are like annual Pushkar mela (in Rajasthan).

Everyone gets in shape, looks attractive and sell (students). Is this the right way to go ahead?” he asked as senior professors from the Indian Institute of Management-A and other corporate heads sat in the first raw of RJ Matthai auditorium at the Indian Institute of Management-A on Friday.

Difference in attitude

The  Tata Human Resource  head was placing emphasis on the need to develop skills and attitude to make difference in society through work as he shared his views in his speech at the Confluence- 2011 on the theme of ‘Fostering Change and Championing Excellence”.

According to him everyone tries to get into premier institutes like the Indian Institute of Management and competition begins from there to march ahead.

“By and large for me, the pinnacle of getting ahead is the cattle auction. When the highest price tag symbolises the highest accomplishment of two years,” Pradhan said.
He added that he might be  sounding negative and biased but wanted to pass this question of how one competed in todays’ time.

Zero sum game

“Is it a zero sum game in our minds that we will compete and will continue to compete as we become leaders of industry, institutions, organisation, multilateral agencies, government. Or is there something different one should try to pursue excellence,” he asked.