FIRST principle of philosophy, according to Rene Descartes, was: ‘I think therefore I am.’ So sure of it he was that “all the most extravagant suppositions of the sceptics were unable to shake it”. For Murli Manohar Joshi, however, the line has to be adapted a bit: “I think therefore IIM.”

It used to be said when philanderers ruled the earth, commoners rushed to hide their pretty wives when the royalty passed by the street, you know why. Now, they are doing something similar with institutions that enjoyed autonomy thus far, only these bodies are too big to hide behind walls. Frantic efforts are on, such as industry captains meeting with top powers, suits filed to nullify interference, and articles filling up newspapers and magazines.

Among the myriad reports, there is one that is titled, “Keep off: Kurien,” talking about the views of the father of the white revolution in India, Dr Verghese Kurien. His 1991 report to the Centre on IIMs had suggested independence from the government, establishment of a corpus fund, block contributions from the government and so on.

In the wake of the current controversy, his recent views have predictably been pro-autonomy and anti-meddling.

Kurien is no mincer of words and if you want to know his views on IIM, a good place to look at is a book by S.N.Chary, an IIM-B prof. Titled, “Business Gurus Speak”, and published by Macmillan in 2002, it features interviews with ‘extraordinary personalities’ such as Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Azim Premji, N.R.Narayana Murthy, Venu Srinivasan, Deepak Parekh, and Mukesh Ambani, apart from Kurien. “You at IIM are using public funds to provide managers for Hindustan Lever and Nestle,” he says, and Joshi may please note.

Kurien was on the IIM’s Board. “So, I spoke in the Board,” narrates the nation’s milkman. “The raison d’etre of this Institute is to provide managers for the under-managed sector, which means NGOs, co-operatives and the public sector, but not multinationals.” Not a popular thought, you muse. Which is what the Board too felt. “One person sitting next to me with a cigar in his mouth said, ‘You mean to say that the graduates of our Institute are to be taught how to milk cows?’ Everybody giggled at that and he put his cigar back.” Is that the end of the story? No. “So, I said, ‘No. You teach them how to suck cigars. I don’t want to work on this Board.’”

Then, Kurien went on to build IRMA, the Institute of Rural Management Anand, with inputs from his cousin Ravi Mathai, who was the Director in IIM, Ahmedabad. Avoid mistakes that happened in IIM, Mathai instructed: “So cousin, when you build IRMA, please build a bigger house for the director than for the professors so that they will know that there is a boss.” Next, don’t give too much powers to professors; this is not Harvard. For this, Kurien recounts Mathai told him: “I told a professor whom I had appointed, ‘You are free to go ahead and fill all the lower posts in your department.’ That person went to his village, brought all his relations and appointed them. That was a terrible mistake which I made.”

And, there’s one more: “The third point cousin, is that you should cut down on the number of people you employ. We have so many people, and therefore, labour union problems, courts, and so on. I am tired of it all. You are a dictator, so run it as a dictator. If anyone steps out of line, sack him. I can’t do that; I am not made that way.’”

Now, this is Kurienspeak: “I said, ‘Ravi Mathai, neither you nor any of your professors have ever managed anything.” Keep off Kurienspeak on IIMs, shall we say?

Bangalore, March 3 Asia Pulse - Karolinska Institute (KI), one of the largest European medical universities, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Thursday, in the field of life sciences.

Swedish Ambassador to India Inga Eriksson Fogh witness the signing of the pact.

As a follow-up to their meeting in Stockholm during the last year, the President of the IC, Professor Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson and his team would also interact with Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon Ltd Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw here ‘ deepen cooperation in the fields of research and education, Disait it.

Companies in Bangalore are part of a joint effort by Swedish and the Indian government to forge a partnership in science and technology, officials of the Swedish embassy said.

A statement of intent was signed in Stockholm in December last year by India and the Swedish Minister of Science Kapil Sibal and Leif Pagrotsky.

BioCon Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Director General to devote a two-day national conference on “Corporate Social Responsibility - Growth-2005-Kartavya ‘by Saturday.

The conference is organised by the Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM), Thiruchirappalli.

While Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the main sponsor, Philips and ITC are cosponsors of the conference. Addressing a press conference here, Director Shan BIM Karan said that for many years of the Community were the development objectives of philanthropic activities, as separated by objectives.

But in recent times a marked shift in thinking took place at the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - business contribution to sustainable development of society, within the framework of strategic business management. As a result of this, management students began to practise social responsibility in their companies enjoy life, “he added.

“Kartavya is an attempt, the development and implementation of CSR as an integral part of the strategy of running a business,” said Shan Karan.

It also serves to strengthen the interaction between businesses and young aspirants companies, he added.

Bob Hoekstra, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Philips India would be the guest conductor at the conclusion of the service of God according to the Conference November six

Sociale. The traditional family roles. Sounds like the USA on the culmination of the feminist revolution in 70 years.

But India is today a country where women are increasingly at the forefront. Not only in politics - the country the dominant political party, the National Congress Party, is yes, under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, a woman who disappeared from our ranking of the World’s Most Powerful Women - but also in large enterprises. More and more women are fighting for a long time, prejudices and work its way to running businesses or creating their own businesses.

But women in India, a country that prides itself on a traditional society, as there is enormous pressure to ensure that social mores. More often, the obstacle to accompany the traditional division of roles within the family is also an obstacle for many women entrepreneurs in India as more and more deeply still too “glass ceiling” in enterprises.

Although women have made great strides in the business world over the past three decades, women of all classes of income are still too often discouraged by family members, career, against too much on family life.

But over the past 30 years, a handful of women entrepreneurs in India, including Lalita Gupte, Kalpana Morparia, Anu AGA, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Simone Tata, quietly broke barriers by social conformity - both at home and the workplace - successful entrepreneurs and professionals.

Just as private industry detainees Jain Bennett Coleman, India, the largest media house, have even reached billionaire status. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw started by India for the first biotechnology company, Biocon (OTCBB: BCLTF - News - people). Lalita Gupte and Kalpana Morparia (both were the only businesswomen in India, our list of the World’s Most Powerful Women), India, the second bank Icici Bank (nyse: Ibn - News - people).

Simone Tata built one of the leading brands of cosmetics indigenous, Lakme, now a unit of Hindustan Lever, who is in possession of Unilever. And Anu Aga shot in Distress for a company, the consultancy firm Thermax group (other OTC: THMFF - News - people).

Then, there are two women, it was their leadership at a young age. Priya Paul has been named president of the Apeejay Surrendra group at age 24, as his father was assassinated in 1990. Sulajja Firodia Motwani, managing director of Kinetic Motor, has ensured that in the past six years, their company, in collaboration with companies in Korea, Taiwan and Italy and helped it grow from a moped up to a manufacturer to offer a comprehensive range of two wheels and automotive components.