New Delhi: Management academia's obsession with rankings contributes to imperialistic aspects of capitalism, particularly in the Global South, and reinforces condemnable scholarly practices, according to a research by faculty members from IIM Lucknow, IIM Calcutta, and IIT Delhi.

The research published in the journal "Management Learning" argues that the pursuit of globally ranked excellence is at the core of contemporary management education, often at the expense of generating knowledge that is significant and pertinent to the society.

"Indian management institutes attempt to create an 'Indian' identity internationally while simultaneously seeking global recognition through rankings. This obsession with rankings results in a series of academic challenges," Priyanshu Gupta, assistant professor of business sustainability, IIM Lucknow, said.

The researchers argued that rankings create an artificial scarcity of excellence, focusing only on elite institutions, while ignoring the need for stronger academic infrastructure across thousands of higher education institutes in the country.

"The pressure to publish in high-impact journals has also led to a proliferation of predatory research practices, along with an increasing tendency for Indian scholars to mimic Western academic frameworks, instead of focusing on the pressing contextual issues.

"Academic research is built on voluntary labour, with scholars spending unpaid hours writing, reviewing and editing for corporate publishing houses that make massive profits while the faculty members increasingly struggle with job insecurity," Gupta said.

The research was conducted after the faculty noticed a troubling pattern in everyday conversations among academics, he said.

"We no longer talk about what we are working on but about the ranked journal where our work is getting published. And we noted that this often detracts the question of whether the work itself is important for our society, to a question of whether it can get published in top journals," Gupta said.

The research recommends a shift in management education, advocating for scholars to challenge rigid academic norms, reject ranking-driven pressures, and focus on producing contextually relevant and impactful research.

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772 students of IIM Jammu receive degrees at annual convocation

Jammu, Apr 7 (PTI) A total of 772 students of the Indian Institute of Management, Jammu, received degrees at the annual convocation ceremony of the institute with Ashish Kumar Chauhan, MD and CEO of National Stock Exchange, encouraging the fresh graduates to leverage both traditional and modern knowledge to solve India's challenges.

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) hosted its 7th and 8th annual convocations on its Jagti campus on Sunday, which was declared open by chairman of its board of governors, Milind Kamble.

Of the 772 students who received degrees, 499 were from the MBA programme, 114 from MBA hospital administration and healthcare management, 99 from the integrated programme in management, three from the PhD programme, 46 from the executive MBA course and 11 students from the executive MBA in corporate affairs and management programme, a spokesperson of the institute said in a statement on Monday.

Congratulating the students and the faculty, Chauhan highlighted the institute's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and its role in nation-building in the unique context of Jammu and Kashmir.

He encouraged the graduates to leverage both traditional and modern knowledge to solve India's challenges, emphasising the need for well-qualified professionals.

The NSE chief acknowledged the current global uncertainties but pointed to India's stability and rising global stature and said it would benefit the graduates in their careers.

Reflecting on India's economy, which was USD 2.1 trillion in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 4.3 trillion by the end of 2025, Kamble emphasised the role of strong financial systems and technology in driving the 'Viksit Bharat' mission for a self-reliant, resilient and globally influential India.

IIM Jammu director B S Sahay highlighted the institute's rapid growth, academic diversification, and key milestones while tracing its journey since its inception in 2016.

IIM Jammu was awarded the prestigious Business Graduates Association (BGA) accreditation for five years in March, he said.

Sahay said IIM Jammu has played a significant role in fostering entrepreneurship in the region, having trained over 500 entrepreneurs and incubated 18 startups in Jammu and 20 startups in Srinagar since 2022.