MBA- The ongoing flavour

In a press briefing (follow up to session: The Education Prism: Global Perspectives) at HT Leadership Summit event, I volleyed a question on to Mr. M S Ahluwalia. “Private institutions are concentrated in management and professional technical studies, what is being done to address the lack of private interest in Humanities?” The answer received was on the expected lines: “Technical and management schools are mostly chosen by students. Because jobs and salaries are greater and better in these areas………”.He replied nicely, but not pointedly. Sure, these kinds of “complex” questions don’t carry simple answers, at best to be dispensed among a gathering of a handful of journalists. Bigger issues need larger, pompous political platforms.

Anyway, the point is- How much good has been brought about by an increased focus on management studies, which are generic by their very nature? An import of the West, MBA studies, when entered in India, found takers in raw graduates. Whereas abroad, MBA was designed primarily for working professionals; to rejuvenate burnt-out brains, to usher real life challenges in classroom learning, to allow class enrichment through diversity, to provide second-time campus entry.

In fact, most top notch global B-schools reject applicants who don't have work experience. The popular argument being, however talented a fresh graduate is, s/he simply can’t connect textbook learning to business issues unless s/he has worked in real situations.

Even Harvard Business School (HBS) is reinventing its curriculum, experimenting with additional field-work. Student will adopt the model of learning/doing. Other radical overhaul is expected soon. Besides, students will also be given seed money of $3000

(‘The Economist’ reports), to launch a small company. Of course, fee will increase.

But back home, what is the quality of MBA churn outs? Schools don’t make it to global MBA rankings. In 'The Economist', ranking only IIM-A finds its representation, sitting feebly at the 78th position under Asian category. One wonders about the flood of B-schools in India. According to a rough estimate, the number is over 3,000. AICTE approved schools in ‘07 totalled 1,132 and this year the number has swelled to 2,385. More schools are on their way. Isn’t this a lop-sided focus?

When foreign private providers enter India they also get only their MBA bag, leaving other goodies home. Almost all of them queue-up at the gates ISB, Hyderabad and six top IIMs for MoUs before turning their attention to others. The queue bit is flattering. But what’s disappointing is: foreign students not vying to enter in Indian B-schools.

This picture threatens a bubble trend. It also undermines other disciplines. This is not healthy. 

 

Right now, money is where management school is. Money is not where Humanities is. It will be long before attention to Humanities would be paid. Had the plan been otherwise, positive noises would have been made till now. So those who want to study Social Sciences or Arts, please queue at the government institutions which have just a handful of seats. Wait, the icing. Just one intake per year. You don’t need an overloaded wallet to get admitted but you sure require teeming luck. With due respect leadership, education is but reduced to roulette. Let’s roll the dice. And pray.