IIPM-Satyajit Ray award given to Anjan Das

IIPM is a prominent B school, honoured different individuals from the the world of literature and journalism at its campus in Kolkata on Tuesday.

As part of the honouring, the Surama Chowdhury Memorial Award 2011 will be conferred to three Bagladeshi intellectuals – Akhtar Ur Jamal Ilyas , Emabdul haq Milan ,Selina Hossain besides one Indian Prafulla Roy at the 3rd Bangladesh Book Fair at Dhaka, Moloy Chadhuri , Director, IIPM said.

Along with this seven more awards were given away in varied fields like healthcare, film making and sports.

Most of the awards carried a gold medal and Rs 1 lakh as cash.

“These awards convey the philosophy of the institute. We want to reach out to the students and the masses across the nation by appreciating the effort of people who have contributed extensively in their respectiver fields,” he said.

At the award event on Tuesday, Bengali poet Sankha Ghosh was felicitated with IIPM – Gour Kishore GHosh Memorial Award.

Bengali poet Joy Goswami was honoured with Michael Madhusudan Dutta Memorial Award.

For journalism, Ratindev Sengupta of Bartaman Bengali newspaper was awarded with IIPM-Barun Sengupta Memorial Award while the editor of The Statesman, Ravindra Kumar, was felicitated with IIPM-Award for Excellence in Journalism for his contribution as columnist and journalist.

Phani Gopal Bhattacharya received Excellence in Healthcare award.

IIPM-Satyajit Ray award was given to Anjan Das.

Former Indian Football captain Baichung Bhutia was named for the IIPM Award for excellence in football, but he was absent.

He will receive the award on Sept.1 from the campus of IIPM here.

7 crore IIPM Rabindranath Tagore International Prize was won by Ramapada Chowdhuri and six others

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Nobel Laureate Mohan Munasinge and Lord Meghnad Desai came down to hand over the first edition of the 7 crore IIPM Rabindranath Tagore International Prize which was won by Ramapada Chowdhuri and six others.

Mohan Munasinghe and Lord Meghnad Desai along with IIPM’s Founder Director Dr Malay Chaudhuri and Dr NR Chatterjee handed over the first Rabindranath Tagore International Prize to Author Ramapada Chowdhuri for his classic work ‘Banpalashir Padabali’.

Dr Malay Chaudhuri announced, “We want to break the western monopoly on awards. The award is being primarily instituted in the field of People Centric Economics/ People Centric Management/ Literature/ Peace as an alternative to the Nobel Prize since it has been observed that economists, of the likes of Maurice Dobb, Oskar Lange and Joan Robinson, and authors from the developing world have been deprived of due recognition by the capitalist Western world.”

The first edition of the award was won jointly by Rmapada Chowdhury along with six authors posthumously i.e. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, Manik Bandopadhyay, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, Jibanananda Das and Ashapurna Devi.

IIPM is setting up Foundations of Rs 1,00,00,000 each in their memory. Excellence in literature at a regional / national level will be awarded from the income generated from them.

With the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial International Prize and an array of prestigious prizes instituted by IIPM in past like Manavata Vikas Award, Surama Chaudhuri Memorial International Award IIPM looks set to alter the international awards landscape for good. Further elaborating the reason to launch such a huge award, Dr. Chaudhuri explained, “This award has been instituted as a move to take away the West’s exclusive power to decide what is good in literature, art and peace efforts. The Nobel Prize for literature/economics has not always gone to great writers/economists. The Peace Prize has been, in recent times, given to people who have committed genocide. Therefore, the idea is to institute an award comparable with the Nobel Prize as a public demonstration of our opposition to the Western monopoly on awards for excellence in various fields. I see a shift from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is happening in economics and planning. Why shouldn’t it also happen in the domain of awards? Our effort is to push an initiative based on that superstructure. We want to decisively intervene in the process of deciding on awards and thereby having a say on what is worth appreciating and emulating.”

The Nobel Prize for literature this year will fetch the winner 1.08 million euros. Last year, the amount was 1 million euros. IIPM wanted to match that and make a real impact. IIPM’s Surama Chaudhuri Memorial International Award for Literature and Journalism is accompanied by an amount of $100,000. Indeed the prize moneys are big but does it really make the award as big?

Dr. Chaudhuri was candid about it as he said, “Well, I do not believe that money alone can decide the worth of an award. An award acquires prestige if it is consistently given to deserving people. This prestige is built over time. If our selection is proper and research based, the awards will be coveted by people all over the world over a period of the next few decades.” The coming years will surely decide if IIPM's initiatives will become globally as big as the Nobel, for now its time to celebrate the fact that an Indian has had the courage to institute a prize as big as the Nobel in value. In a country with the highest number of billionaires, that it comes from an educationist is another aspect to cheer about.

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Dr Malay Chaudhuri, Founder Director IIPM, tells TSI why the IIPM Awards are in a league of their own

We want to break Western monopoly on awards

Rabindranath Tagore Memorial International Prize, Surama Chaudhuri Memorial International Award, Manavata Vikas Award... an array of prestigious prizes instituted by IIPM is set to alter the international awards landscape for good.

What is the rationale behind the IIPM Awards for excellence in the fields of literature, arts, journalism and social work?

These awards are a logical development for IIPM. In our very first prospectus – the year was 1973 – we spelt out that skill development would be a key element in our course content, but that it certainly would not be the only element. We stressed on two other dimensions – fostering a sense of commitment to society and active application of arts and literature to life. Commitment to society is essential in order to create economic parameters that favour the people at large. National economic planning should be a core pursuit. If planning is market-oriented, then it is skewed in favour of those who control resources. For us, management education has always had these three distinct dimensions. A sense of ethics should underline distribution. It is also imperative to develop appreciation of arts and literature. The IIPM Awards for excellence follow from our third commitment.

You have described the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial International Prize as a challenge to the Nobel Prize. In what sense is that the case?

This award has been instituted as a move to take away the West’s exclusive power to decide what is good in literature, art and peace efforts. The Nobel Prize for literature has not always gone to great writers. The Peace Prize has been, in recent times, given to people who have committed genocide. Therefore, the idea is to institute an award comparable with the Nobel as a public demonstration of our opposition to the Western monopoly on awards for excellence in various fields. I see a shift from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is happening in economics and planning. Why shouldn’t it also happen in the domain of awards? Our effort is to push an initiative based on that superstructure. We want to decisively intervene in the process of deciding on awards. We want to demonstrate that we are equal players.

So far the focus of the IIPM Awards seems to have been on Bengali literature. Will you be looking at recognising other literatures in the coming years?

Our focus is on literature, not on literature in any particular language. It is only by accident that Bengali literature dominates. The presence of Rabindranath Tagore and the influence he had on numerous writers in Bengal led to an explosion of great literature. The literature produced in Bengali has been of a very high quality. The dominance of Bengali stems partly from our acquaintance with the language and partly from our perception that many Bengali writers are comparable with the best in the world. They should have won the Nobel Prize. They did not because the awards mechanism was loaded against writers like them.

So, will you be giving the IIPM Awards to writers in other languages as well in the years ahead?
Of course, we would, without any hesitation. We would be proud indeed to discover and honour exceptional literary talent in other languages. We would, of course, need help from friends and experts in identifying the best writers in these languages. Once we have the guidance we need and a proper assessment system is in place, you will see the IIPM Awards going to more and more non-Bengali litterateurs.

And will you honour international writers as well?

Don’t be surprised if next year we choose an American or European writer for the Tagore Award.

How are the award winners chosen?

We have a small committee. We are in constant touch with people who are well-read and are aware of literary developments. We seek their opinion. They give us guidance. I myself have been a voracious reader since childhood.

What is the logic behind the big prize money on offer with these awards?

The Nobel Prize for literature this year will fetch the winner 1.08 million euros. Last year, the amount was 1 million euros. We wanted to match that. Veteran Bengali writer Ramapada Chowdhury has won the first Rabindranath Tagore Memorial International Prize. The prize money is Rs 1 crore. This award will be handed over to the writer on May 9, 2011, Tagore’s 150th anniversary. To make a real impact, we wanted the prize money to be equivalent of the Nobel. A small amount would not have had the same effect. The Surama Chaudhuri Memorial International Award for Literature and Journalism is accompanied by an amount of $100,000. The first of this series of awards has been won by Afghan-origin writer Khaled Hosseini.

Are you satisfied with the general awareness about the IIPM Awards?

No, I am not. The importance of these awards has not been fully appreciated by the media. Either we do not have the kind of high quality media that we deserve or there is a deliberate conspiracy of silence. Take the case of the leading Bengali newspaper. The Surama Chaudhuri Memorial International Award, in monetary terms, is worth 80 times more than the annual award that this newspaper group gives but they do not want to share that information with their readers. They haven’t mentioned a word about Ramapada Chowdhury winning the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial International Prize although the publishing house owned by this media group has published most of the celebrated writer’s work. I can understand if they black out our awards. But why should they black out Ramapada Chowdhury? It is completely unacceptable.

There is obviously no award in India with this kind of prize money. How important is this for the profile of these awards?

Well, I do not believe that money alone can decide the worth of an award. An award acquires prestige if it is consistently given to deserving people. This prestige is built over time.

| Arindam Chaudhuri | GIDF | Planman Consulting | Business & Economy | 4Ps Business & Marketing | The Sunday Indian | The Human Factor | The Daily Indian | Kkoooljobs.com | Amaze, New Delhi | IIPM Old Brochure | IIPM 4Ps Quiz | Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Alternative Budget | For IIPM Students |

IIPM celebrates selfless service

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

In a highly intellectual event, the Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskars are awarded by IIPM to six transformational leaders committed to positive social change and equality.

1. It is worth walking the extra mile if at the end of it you know you have brought about a meaningful and positive change. In the same spirit, The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) honoured six individuals from different walks of life with the prestigious Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar for treading that extra mile. This award is given for the commitment to bring about a positive change in the society and for championing the cause of equality, social justice and human welfare. The award ceremony, organised in New Delhi on March 28, 2011, was presided over by Swami Shantatmananda Maharaj of the Delhi branch of Ramakrishna Mission.

The distinguished award, which additionally has a prize money of five lakh rupees, a gold medal and a citation, was conferred upon Dr Kiran Bedi, Prof. Ilina Sen, Dr Binayak Sen, Prakash Kaur, Justice (retd) V R Krishna Iyer and former Chief Election Commissioner of India, T. N. Seshan. It is one of the various awards that IIPM has instituted to celebrate the spirit of sacrifice and selfless giving.

2. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Malay Chaudhuri, founder Director, IIPM, and Chairman, IIPM Awards Committee, while commending the awardees for their commitment towards their respective causes, said, “In the absence of economic planning in India, social welfare and poverty alleviation programmes are never successful. This leads to criminalisation of the society and the exploitation of the poor at the hands of the rich and the corrupt.” The ultimate cause of uprooting poverty and injustice from the country is very close to the heart of Dr. Malay Chaudhuri.

Thanking IIPM for the award, the most respected social activist and former IPS officer, Dr Kiran Bedi said, “It gives me immense pleasure as this award will go a long way in contributing towards my cause.” She urged the IIPM students and civil society to join hands against corruption and exhorted them to work for the welfare of the poor at the grassroots level. Dr Kiran Bedi runs the NGOs Navjyoti and India Vision Foundation; and supports various social causes like prison reform, child welfare and prevention of drug abuse.

3. Prakash Kaur received the award for her unrelenting mission of rescuing unwanted and unclaimed newborn girls and giving them a secure home and future. “I feel grateful for this award,” said Kaur, overwhelmed with emotion, “It gives me immense satisfaction to be among the people who support humanitarian causes and are ready to help all those in need. I am an insignificant person and yet the IIPM awards committee selected me for this prestigious award.”

Prof. Ilina Sen and Dr Binayak Sen were individually awarded for their dedicated efforts in restoring sustained focus on human rights in Chhattisgarh and for ensuring social justice for the tribals. In the absence of Dr Binayak Sen, his wife Prof Ilina Sen received her husband's award too. Dr Ilina Sen, who has embraced a life full of difficulties, said, “I thank IIPM for the awards. The Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar has boosted my morale. It feels as if I am not alone in the ordeal through which my family is passing. This award has made me forget my pain for some time and I strongly hope that our struggle for social justice in Chhattisgarh and other parts of the country would produce the desired results.”

Retired Justice V R Krishna Iyer, who is over 96 years of age, could not make it to the awards function. Consequently, the award was received on his behalf by Dr Vinod Sethi, Secretary General of Capital Foundation Society, and a very close associate of Justice Iyer for several years. The iconic former election commissioner, T N Seshan, who was awarded for his commitment in bringing about electoral reforms and reinstating the confidence of the electorate in the democratic process, also could not turn up at the awards function because of ill health. He, however, conveyed his acceptance in a mail: “I consider this as the recognition of the vital role of democracy in the country... Thank you for selecting me. I accept the award with humility.”

4. Congratulating all the recipients of the award, Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri, Honorary Director, IIPM Think Tank, said, “Our focus should not be the survival of the fittest... It should be the survival of the weakest. Unfortunately, in our society, the exploitation of the weak by the powerful and the corrupt further pushes the weaker sections to the margins. With a non-functional judicial system and an equally inefficient policing system, the real criminals are always outside the prisons while those who cannot manage the money required for their bail are left to languish inside.”

In a message sent to IIPM, Justice Iyer echoed the sentiments of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri. “Money rules and today no one seems to be above the power of wealth. Our elections are victimised by money power. It is unfortunate. Swaraj gained after a do-or-die struggle has become a casualty after Independence.”

IIPM over the years has instituted various awards in social development, literature, culture, peace and in other specific areas to recognize people who have contributed extensively in their respective fields. In August 2008, IIPM instituted the Surama Chowdhury Memorial International Prize in Literature to acknowledge the contribution of individuals in the field of literature. In April 2010, IIPM instituted the Manavata Vikas Award, which was conferred upon academicians like Dr Ashok Sanjay Guha and Prof Sunanda Sanyal, popular economists like Gurcharan Das and Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, and social thinkers like Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharya, Medha Patkar and Mahasweta Devi.

5. In May 2010, once again, IIPM instituted the Rabindra Smriti Puraskar in Kolkata and honoured some of the greatest individuals who have contributed in spreading Tagore’s consciousness through their works among the general mass – actor Soumitra Chatterjee, singer Suchitra Mitra, social visionary Dr Tushar Kanjilal and novelist Selina Hossain of Bangladesh. Once again, in August 2010, IIPM felicitated Irom Sharmila Chanu, the Iron Lady of Manipur with the Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize for her determined decade long struggle to revoke the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

In the same year, IIPM had also declared the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial International Prize, with an award money of around Euro 1.15 million (or Rs. 7 crore), a purse that is greater than that of the Nobel Prize. The first such award would be given away in May 2011 on the completion of the 150th birth anniversary of India’s first Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore.


In pictures: (1) (L to R) Prof. Ilina Sen receiving Dr. Binayak Sen’s award from Swami Shantatmananda Maharaj, Mrs Chaudhuri & Dr. Malay Chaudhuri (2) Dr. Kiran Bedi being awarded by Swami Shantatmananda Maharaj and Dr. Malay Chaudhuri (3) Prakash Kaur receiving her award (4) Prof. Ilina Sen accepts her individual award (5) Dr Vinod Sethi (centre) receiving the award on behalf of Justice V R Krishna Iyer

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