S. Vishnu Sharma
IIM Lucknow was the cynosure of all eyes as valedictory for MGNF program was celebrated on its premises. Durga Shanker Mishra, Chief Secretary of the Government of Uttar Pradesh was the chief guest.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF), launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), is a flagship program involving collaboration with various IIMs as academic partners.
IIM Lucknow was the largest academic partner with 105 fellows spread across four states: 32 in Assam, 11 in Mizoram, 51 in Uttar Pradesh, and 11 in Himachal Pradesh.
Participation
Through the efficient and cooperative participation of these fellows, this two-year certificate program in public policy and management seeks to bring development into India’s districts, say sources from IIM Lucknow.
The fellows were stationed across various districts guided by the MSDE, working on new development projects, enabling industry engagement, and spearheading entrepreneurship development, say sources from IIM Lucknow.
Ceremony
During the ceremony, a total of 105 fellows were awarded the Certificate in Public Policy and Management, with 51 students from Uttar Pradesh, 32 from Assam, 11 from Mizoram, and 11 from Himachal Pradesh.
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Ms. Bhavana Das deployed in the Udalguri district of Assam secured the first position, Ms. Pallavi Dhiman deployed in Kolasib district of Mizoram and Ms. Anuradha Nirwan deployed in the Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh secured second and third positions in the MGNF cohort respectively, say sources from IIM Lucknow.
Chief Guest at IIM Lucknow
Durga Shanker Mishra emphasized the instrumental role played by Premier Institutes in the country like IIM Lucknow in nurturing a generation of young changemakers dedicated to driving transformative changes within the country.
Furthermore, he reiterated “Panch Pran”, the clarion call of Prime Minister Narender Modi that talks about strengthening the resolve of developed India; removing any trace of the colonial mindset, taking pride in our legacy; our strength of unity.
It also mentions about fulfilling the duties of citizens with honesty and urged all the stakeholders of the program especially the young fellows to work towards a vibrant Bharat, he said.
A significant highlight of the event was the unveiling of a special coffee table book titled ‘Skill Se Samridhhi,’ documenting some of the inspiring initiatives carried out by the fellows during their engagement in this program.
Impact
Highlighting the impact of the MGNF program, Prof. Archana Shukla, Director of IIM Lucknow shared the engagement of fellows at districts complemented with exceptional mentoring support from the Institute has been able to instill a sustained dialogue of skill development at the local level.
The bottom-up approach in public policy designing that the fellows have been able to bring in will go a long way in implementing the contextualized programs on the ground, said director of IIM Lucknow.
Role
Regarding the role of IIM Lucknow in the program, Prof. Ajay K. Garg and Prof. Kshitij Awasthi, Program Directors – MGNF at IIM Lucknow shared said a holistic mentoring approach was followed at IIM Lucknow, keeping the learning and overall development of fellows at the center of all initiatives.
‘This has equipped our fellows to collaborate effectively with local administrations and implement some of the unique projects on the ground.’
Diversity
Besides working on strengthening the DSC functioning and strategizing district skill development plans, the diversity of the work done by fellows is remarkable and includes areas like livelihood promotion of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), data convergence, enhanced skilling access, quality assurance, and monitoring, among others, say sources from IIM Lucknow.
Director of IIM Lucknow further expressed her pride in the fellows who have successfully created ripples for change by using their classroom skills and taking them to the ground level.
Prof Archana Shukla further reiterated IIM Lucknow’s commitment to continuing such initiatives in the future, for the betterment of society.