DESIGN OF THE PROGRAMME

Objectives

Continuous efforts are on to innovate, improve and enhance the practical relevance of the educational process in the programme. This course enables students to -develop adequate conceptual base in different subject areas of relevance acquire sufficient operating skills in using modern management tools and techniques in different functional areas develop application skills of management techniques appropriate in the unique contexts of Agri-Business develop a gestalt perspective of the Agri-Business sector, its dynamics, complexities, challenges and opportunities in the emerging global context.

Salient features

The courses can be broadly grouped into the following themes:

General Management

A number of compulsory courses focus on subjects relating to management in general, such as Marketing Management, Financial Management, Organisational Behaviour, Information Systems and Technology Management, Human Resource Management, ERP, etc.

Agri-Business Management

Some of the courses relate to subjects concerning management of business organisations, such as Agri-inputs Marketing, Agri-export Marketing, Procurement Management, Supply Chain Management, Rural Advertising and Communication, Commodity Futures and Trading, Participatory Extension Management, Quantitative Aids for Agri-Business, Food Retailing, Micro Finance, Rural Credit and Agri-Finance, etc.

Techno-economic Dimensions of Agriculture

This cluster of courses include subjects relating to agricultural economics, policy issues, WTO and elective courses on sectoral areas for specialising in chosen sectors of Agri-Business, in tune with one's career aspirations.

Summer Projects

The fourth trimester is designed to provide opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in real life of Agri-Business management context through Summer Projects with prominent Agri-Business firms.

Other Learning Events

The regular credit related inputs as mentioned above are not sufficient to facilitate well-rounded development of managerial capabilities. Events planned to enrich the learning process include knowledge series by noted experts, and top level Agri-Business executives on subjects of relevance to the students. Community events, debates and elocution contests, management games, corporate and industrial visits are organized by students. Sports: Excellent facilities including a Gym, Table Tennis, Billiards, Badminton, Volleyball, Tennis, Squash and Swimming pool are available. Regular participation and achievement of proficiency is expected for all round development.

Assessment of student performance

The evaluation of performance in different academic events such as courses and projects carrying credit value will be as per percentages and credits. Each event will carry a credit value. The Course Director at the end of the course will award final cumulative total marks out of 100. Total marks received by a student will be a weighted summation of marks obtained over different assessment events including Quizzes, Mid-course Tests, Classroom Participation, End of the Term Examination, Presentations and other assignments. The aggregate marks obtained by a student will be a sum of individual course-wise marks, weighted by their credit values. The minimum pass percentage in individual courses is 45%. The minimum cumulative percentage for promotion from 1st to 2nd year is 50%. The minimum aggregate percentage for the award of PG diploma is 50%. One should get more than 70% to get a first class and more than 85% to get a distinction. A student who fails in a course is permitted to sit in the supplementary examination to be held at the end of the year during summer months. Students who, for some reason fail to appear in the End of the Term examination may also do so. The marks obtained in the supplementary examination will be scaled down by 10% while being entered into the final marks sheet. The criteria for pass/fail will apply on the scaled down marks. A student will be asked to drop out from the PG programme if s/he has to reappear in the supplementary examination for more than two subjects during the first year. Similarly, a student will not be eligible to receive the diploma if she has to reappear in supplementary examinations for more than two subjects at the end of the second year.

Norms of discipline

A high degree of responsible behaviour and self-discipline is a natural requirement. A thorough briefing on these aspects will be provided during the Induction process. Students will be expected to uphold the standards set in this respect. Regular attendance in the class is a must. Loss of attendance beyond 10% in any course will lead to equivalent reduction in marks and other penalties depending on the period of absence. Becoming an effective manager demands a high degree of self-management, hard work and internalization of ethical values. The institute reserves the right to monitor the behavior and take necessary action as it deems fit including the removal of the name of the candidate from the rolls without assigning any reason whatsoever. While conceptual learning is essential, the concepts learned need to be internalised and practiced as operative and co-operative
skills. A balance of teaching methods appropriate for cognitive, experiential and skill development is used in most of the instructional events. The design of the programme is oriented towards practical application. A substantial part of the time will be devoted to practical/experiential classroom sessions, case discussions, role plays, application-oriented individual/ group assignments, summer placement and project work. Students are expected to devote a minimum of 6-7 hours of work per day outside the classroom throughout the programme.