Theory of 'karma' part of IIM course

New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow is offering an elective course on "The Wisdom of Indian Philosophy" to groom future industry leaders in their approach towards real-life tasks by deriving inspiration from India's roots, according to officials. While the course is taught in English and has some traces of modern theories, it primarily relies on the tenets of Indian philosophy derived in Sanskrit from Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Samkhya Karika, and Upanishads with references from the Bhagavad Gita. The course is created and floated by Professor Anadi Pande, who was motivated to introduce this curriculum to students in order to help them manage their selves better, reduce stress and anxiety.

"We live in a highly globalised, dynamic, and changeable world, with surfeit of information, intense competition, the acronym BANI aptly sums up its characteristics. Samkya, Yoga and Vedanta enable us to connect with our true nature, achieve peace, and have a focused mind.

A superior mind is a tremendous instrument which can not only de-stress, improve our psychosomatic condition but enable us find innovative solutions to challenges in our workplace and the material world," said Anadi Pande, course coordinator and Professor, Strategic Management, IIM Lucknow.

Pande said Indian philosophy predates Thales of Miletus, who is regarded as the first Greek philosopher and creator of western philosophy, by at least a millennium. "This dynamic course employs a holistic and integrated approach, by incorporating numerous fields such as metaphysics, aesthetics, epistemology, sociology, psychology, ethics, life sciences, and even the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and man's interactions with the outside world," she said.

The course is 15 hours long, and currently running its fourth year. In the current academic year, the elective is running in both the Lucknow campus for the core MBA programme and at the Noida campus for Working Executives MBA programme. "In order to strengthen the conviction of the students, the course is not a mere teaching of India's prized scriptures.