Latest news with #IndianInstituteofManagement-Kozhikode
The Hindu
5 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Wayanad landslides call for community-based early warning systems, says Japanese disaster management expert
In the wake of the devastating landslides that ravaged Wayanad last year, disaster management expert Prof. Rajib Shaw of Keio University, Japan, has called for a fundamental shift in India's disaster preparedness strategy — urging that early warning systems be embedded directly within communities, and schools be transformed into localised early warning nodes. Prof. Shaw led a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, the Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode, the National Institute of Technology-Calicut, and Keio University, Japan, in a study based on extensive on-the-ground investigations into the Wayanad landslides. The comprehensive report, titled 'Wayanad Landslides 2024: Early Warning System — Changing the Last Mile to the First Mile,' was released in Kozhikode on Wednesday (August 6, 2025). The study proposes that teachers serve as disaster awareness ambassadors, while students act as information disseminators within their families and communities. 'The people in Wayanad received warnings but did not act on them. That gap between warning and response is what drove us to investigate this more deeply,' Prof. Rajib Shaw said in an interaction with The Hindu on Friday. He pointed out that the lapse resulted from a combination of behavioural, cultural and institutional factors that collectively hindered timely evacuation and preparedness. According to the report, the landslide that struck on July 30, 2024—one of the deadliest in Kerala's history—claimed nearly 400 lives, injured over 200 people, and displaced around 7,000. More than 1,500 homes were destroyed, with economic losses estimated at over ₹281 crore. The report identifies a lethal mix of factors behind the tragedy, including extreme rainfall of 409 mm in 24 hours and human-induced vulnerabilities such as unchecked deforestation, land-use changes, poor construction on fragile terrain, and increasing population and tourism pressures on the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. It also directly links climate change to the intensified monsoon that triggered the disaster. The failure in disaster response was not due to a lack of warnings but a breakdown in communication and institutional coordination, leaving communities as the 'last mile' in a flawed system instead of the empowered 'first mile' of resilience. Local panchayats lacked disaster literacy and training, while official communications were stalled in bureaucratic delays, the report said. Prof. Shaw, former Kyoto University faculty and Chair of the United Nations Global Science Technology Advisory Group, said that in Japan, schools serve as default evacuation centres and hold annual drills tailored to regional risks—be it a tsunami, earthquake, or landslide. 'Teachers, students, and families know their roles during a disaster. That is the kind of cultural shift we need here,' he added. Dispelling the notion that technology was at fault in Wayanad, Prof. Shaw pointed out that the real breakdown lay in how the public responded. 'Without awareness, drills, disaster training, or a culture of preparedness, alerts became just noise. People did not know what to do,' he said, adding that bridging the gap between institutions and communities must now be Kerala's top priority. Prof. Shaw emphasised that every effective early warning system rests on three crucial pillars — timely and accurate information, community behaviour and perception, and clear evacuation mechanisms. 'In Wayanad, the technology worked, and warnings were issued. But the second and third pillars collapsed,' he said.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
IIM-K unveils Gyanodaya centre
The Indian Institute of Management - Kozhikode (IIM-K) has launched Gyanodaya Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Publishing, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to build a vibrant, inclusive, and globally relevant knowledge ecosystem. Announcing this latest centre of excellence (CoE), IIM-K Director Debashis Chatterjee said, 'The future of education lies not just in delivering knowledge, but in reimagining how it is created, contextualised, and shared.' 'Gyanodaya is the IIM-K's leap toward that future. Envisioned as a CoE under IIM-K's 'Vision 2047' and aligned with the aspirations of India's National Education Policy [NEP], the Centre aims to become a crucible for cutting-edge pedagogy, publishing excellence, and knowledge sharing grounded in Indian wisdom and global best practices,' he added. Professor Atanu Adhikari, the founding Head of Gyanodaya, said, 'Gyanodaya is built on the tenets of pedagogical excellence, global relevance, and the sharing of indigenous knowledge. We aim to establish a win-win-win model — where learners, authors, and institutions benefit symbiotically.' Gyanodaya addresses both immediate and long-term academic needs. In the short term, it focuses on developing and disseminating peer-reviewed content, including case studies, simulations, monographs, books, and research notes. Over time, the Centre aims to become a global hub for educational innovation, fostering collaboration among institutions, faculty, and practitioners worldwide. The centre has already made a strong start — over 30 original case studies, accompanied by detailed teaching notes, have been published, spanning disciplines from marketing and finance to the humanities and liberal arts. To maintain academic integrity and publishing efficiency, the centre operates with the support of Pandulipi, a home-grown online manuscript management platform developed by IIM-K's web team. The platform facilitates seamless submissions and incorporates a three-stage peer review system, with reviewers chosen for both domain expertise and pedagogical insight.
The Hindu
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Rajeeve launches Layam Housing project in Idukki
The Industries department on Monday launched the Layam Housing project in Idukki aimed at renovating and constructing layams (cluster houses) in the plantation sector. Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said under the housing project, the government would provide ₹50,000 for renovating existing layams and ₹2 lakh for constructing new ones. The government had allotted ₹10 crore in the last two Budgets for the project. The Minister said the establishment of the plantation directorate had brought in changes in the plantation sector in the State. After setting up the directorate, the government had directed the Indian Institute of Management- Kozhikode to study issues in the plantation sector. 'The IIMK had submitted a report to the government and after its approval, the recommendations will be implemented in the plantation sector,' Mr. Rajeeve said. Officials said 83 layams had been selected for renovation under the project in Idukki and works on 10 units at AVT Karadikkuzhi Estate, near Peerumade, had been completed. Mr. Rajeeve inaugurated the housing project at Karadikkuzhi on Monday.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
IIMK donates 17,500 books worth ₹1 crore to 35 Kerala colleges
The Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode (IIMK) on Thursday (May 15) hosted the sixth edition of its book donation programme, donating over 17,500 books valued at ₹1.05 crore to 35 colleges spread across 11 districts in the State. The initiative, part of the institute's ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, witnessed the enthusiastic participation of over 200 students and faculty members from the beneficiary institutions, a press release said. Each participating college received nearly 500 books worth approximately ₹3 lakh, covering a wide spectrum of academic subjects, including economics, management, accounting, commerce, marketing, operations research, quantitative methods, organisational behaviour, human resource management, business ethics, information technology, and literature. These books were handpicked by IIMK's distinguished faculty and contributed by students as part of the donation drive led by Nalanda – The Library and Information Centre (LIC) at IIMK. The event was presided over by Professor Debashis Chatterjee, Director of IIMK and the visionary behind this CSR outreach, which began in 2011.
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Collector's internship programme in Kozhikode completes a decade
The Kozhikode District Collector's Internship Programme (DCIP) has completed a decade, engaging youth in the grassroots machinery of governance. It was launched in June 2015 as part of the 'Compassionate Kozhikode' initiative, in partnership with the Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode. A release said on Monday (May 12) that over 300 interns had participated in the programme so far, contributing to areas such as public health, social welfare, environmental campaigns, education, disability support, and civic documentation. The interns collaborate with government departments and civil society organisations, assisting in background research, field logistics, citizen engagement, and communication. The programme has played an important role in several noted initiatives of the Kozhikode administration, such as 'Operation Sulaimani', interventions at the Government Mental Health Centre at Kuthiravattam, 'Compassionate Kozhikode' scholarship distribution, the 'Zero Waste Kozhikode' campaign, and efforts under 'Enabling Kozhikode' to promote disability inclusion. During emergencies such as the Nipah outbreak, the floods of 2018, and the pandemic, the interns stepped in to support relief and public health efforts, including through coordination and communication. In recent years, the focus of the internship has broadened to include employment support initiatives like Udyoga Jyothi, document distribution for persons with disabilities under the Sahamitra project, and provision of essential documents to Scheduled Tribe communities. The model has inspired similar internship structures in at least 10 other districts in Kerala. Applications are currently open for the 30th batch of DCIP, which will run from May to September 2025. The internship is unpaid and open to graduates from any field of study. The last date to apply is May 15, and application forms are available at Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview. Further details can be obtained by contacting 96336 93211 or emailing projectcellclt@
