IRMA Anand - Institute of Rural Management

Founded in 1979, the Institute of Rural Management Anand or IRMA strives to work for the economy's under-served segments via professional management. Under the leadership of its founder, Dr Verghese Kurien, also called the 'Father of the White Revolution in India', IRMA focuses on creating skilled management professionals. Professionals who can apply their management acumen to facilitate ecologically-friendly, sustainable, and equitable development at the grassroots level. 

A privately-held institute, IRMA Anand is often hailed as a "management institute with a heart". It is a premier institution that provides professional management learning via intensive fieldwork. IRMA's unparalleled dedication to promoting holistic education is evident in its unique curriculum approach. A faculty of experienced members from reputed international and national institutes collaborate to guide and shape the thinkers of tomorrow. And with a 60-acre-green campus, fully equipped with wireless connectivity, the institute ensures students enjoy a comprehensive learning experience.

With a total of four management programmes under its purview, IRMA caters to candidates aspiring for positions in development organisations and rural cooperatives, namely – Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management), Fellowship Programme in Management (Rural Management), Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management-Executive), and MDPs/ Training Programmes. Moreover, to make students industry-ready, IRMA collaborates with Government and Non-Government institutions, along with numerous other International Development Organisations, on real on-the-ground projects and facilitates practical learning. 

IRMA Anand Location

Situated in Gujarat, Institute of Rural Management, Anand has a campus near NDDB, Agricultural University Road, spanning 60 acres. The campus is also well-connected via roadways and railways. Visitors can easily reach IRMA Anand's campus from Anand Junction railway station, located 3 km away from the institute. For visitors travelling by air, Vadodara is the nearest airport, at a distance of 41.2km from the institute. The Anand bus stand is 4km from the campus.

Institute of Rural Management, Anand – Latest News and Updates

• Appointment of new Director at  Institute of Rural Management, Anand - Dr. Umakant Dash has been appointed as the new Director of IMRA. Dr. Dash has more than 25 years experience in teaching and research and previously he was the Head of Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Madras. He has also worked as an Adjunct Professor at IIM Tiruchirappalli. 
• IRMA alumni Mr Jayen Mehta features in Adgully as "Powerful Influencers 2020" - Mr Jayen Mehta, an alumnus of the 10th batch (1980-1991) of IRMA Anand's PGDM (RM) programme, who currently holds the position of Senior General Manager in Amul, was featured in the list of "Powerful Influencers 2020" by Adgully.
• IRMA invites participants for Online Management Development Programmes (MDPs) - In the wake of COVID-19, IRMA is offering client-specific management programmes in the online mode until face-to-face training presumes in the campus. 
• IRMA started Campus Placements 2021 - IRMA Anand announced Campus Placement process for PGDM (RM)'s 40th batch, to be conducted in February.

Awards, Recognitions, Accreditations and Collaborations

• The Institute of Rural Management, Anand was rated 'A' by NAAC in 2015 and scored a 3.30 CGPA on a four-point scale. 

• IRMA's Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Rural Management (PGDPRM) programme is AICTE approved.

• Association of Indian Universities (AIU) recognised IRMA Anand's two-year Post Graduate Programme in Rural Management (PGP) equivalent to Master's Degree in Rural Management. 

• IRMA Anand's Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management) has accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation. 

IRMA Collaborations

• National Council for Co-operative Training (NCCT) 

• International Cooperative Alliance - Asia and Pacific (ICA-Asia Pacific) 

• Access Livelihood Consulting (ALC) India Ltd

• National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal 

• Anand Agricultural University (AAU)

Notable Alumni

The "Institute of Rural Management Alumni Association", as IRMA Anand's alumni association is commonly known, boasts a registered body of 2000+ alumni. It has a dedicated Association office in the campus to oversee activities which align with the objectives and purpose of IRMA Anand. Some of the most notable IRMA Anand alumni are mentioned below.

IRMA Clubs, Committees, Societies 

Vibrant is the keyword for IRMA Anand's cultural and recreational life. The campus remains abuzz with diverse activities around the year with Student Activity Centre (SAC) as the epicentre. IRMA also houses numerous student-led clubs to serve a variety of learning purposes. This allows students to receive exposure to a plethora of experiences for all-round development. Some of IRMA's clubs and committees are listed below:

• IRMA Staff Club: Members organise different entertainment and sports activities, cultural programmes in association with the cultural student body. 

• Abhyudaya – Development & Public Policy Club: The club abides by two objectives: enhancing learning by hosting various events and organising workshops for employment-focused skill development. 

• IRMA Development Consultancy Club (IDCC): A student-led club, mentored by IRMA's Verghese Kurien Policy Lab, focuses on helping higher research-oriented IRMAians to polish their skills and knowledge in the Public Policy and Development Consultancy domain. 

• Jigyasa: The quiz club at IRMA conducts quizzes on a wide range of topics. It has a strong network of alumni and a social media group for sharing the news.

• IRMA Social Entrepreneurship Cell: The social entrepreneurship cell has 33 participants. The purpose of the club is to inculcate the sense of entrepreneurship in students.

Institute of Rural Management, Anand Infrastructure and Facilities

IRMA, Anand offers a wide selection of facilities as a testament to its commitment to providing a holistic learning experience to every student. The IRMA community also enjoys a secure, high-speed Wi-Fi and LAN network connectivity across rooms, labs, student hostels, and departments. 

Check out IRMA Anand facilities below

• IRMA Anand has a state-of-the-art infrastructure spanning 60-acre of green campus for comprehensive and comfortable learning.

• Salient amenities include seminar rooms, lecture halls, auditorium, library, Executive Training and Development Centre (ETDC), Student Activity Centre (SAC), dispensary, and various other support facilities.

• For Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management) – PGDM (RM) students, IRMA Anand has accommodation of a 15-block hotel complex with 494 fully furnished single rooms.

•  A modern housing complex is available for students of 15-month Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management – Executive) – PGDM (RM-X). There are 60 studios, well-furnished with a double bed, a common recreational area, and a kitchenette with a water purifier. 

• Students have access to well-equipped classrooms, fully furnished with ACs, microphones, projector, and audio-visual aids to facilitate high-quality learning.

• IRMA Anand houses Ravi J. Mathai Library, one of the country's most resourceful and comprehensive libraries in the rural management domain, fully automated via KOHA software for comfortable searching, reporting, and various other functions. 

• A Student Activity Centre (SAC) dedicated to various recreational and cultural activities, extending to a well-endowed, 400-capacity auditorium. 

• For fitness enthusiasts, the campus provides a well-furnished gym. It also offers outdoor and indoor facilities for leisurely sports like table tennis, billiards, cricket, badminton, and foosball.

IRMA, Anand Courses Offered

Institute of Rural Management, Anand offers three programmes in total. IRMA's flagship postgraduate programme in Rural Management, PGDM (RM), and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Executive, PGDM (RM-X), is considered equivalent to the Executive MBA programme. The institute also provides one PhD level research programme in Rural Management with a three-year minimum residency requirement. And numerous Management Development Programmes (MDPs) designed especially for in-service managers and executives.

IRMA, Anand Courses and Eligibility

Institute of Rural Management Anand Admission

Admissions to IRMA Anand are entrance-based. Eligible candidates must appear for either the Common Admission Test (CAT) or the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) exam conducted by Xavier School of Management (XLRI). Selection criteria consist of IRMA's Social Awareness Test (IRMASAT), Group Activity (GA), and Personal Interview (PI). And based on performance, candidates are shortlisted and called in two ways: Merit-based calls and Profit-cum-merit based calls. Performances are assessed via category wise cut-offs, decided by the Admission Committee. Only candidates who have a bachelor's degree in the specified disciplines are considered under the Profit-cum-merit based calls. 

IRMA Anand Admission Procedure for Postgraduate Programs

• Appear for either CAT or XAT exam.

• Fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria. 

• Apply for the programme online. 

• Applicants are shortlisted based on CAT or XAT scores.

• The Admission Committee decides category-wise cut-offs for shortlisting applicants.

• Shortlisted applicants are called for the selection process at IRMA.

• They must sit for the IRMA Social Awareness Test, GA, and PI. 

• A merit list will be released based on performance.

IRMA Anand Admission Procedure for Doctoral Programs

• Admission to doctoral programs comprises two stages. The first stage involves receipts and applications screening, while the second stage involves personal interviews.

• Applicants selected via application screening are called for a PI.

IRMA, Anand Scholarships

Deserving students can readily obtain financial assistance from IRMA Anand, which offers myriad schemes and scholarships to ensure students enjoy a smooth learning experience irrespective of their financial situations. SC students can avail of four scholarships allocated to IRMA Anand by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. And five ST students can secure a full scholarship, administered to IRMA Anand by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. These scholarships will cover the students' entire education costs, including tuition fees, book grant, stationery, costs of books, and a personal computer. Based on the rules laid out by AICTE, Tuition Fee Waiver (TFW) schemes are also provided to deserving students who satisfy the required eligibility criteria. However, numbers of tuition schemes and scholarships available each year will differ based on the associated authorities' approval/sanctions.

IRMA Anand Placement

A dedicated Campus Placement Programme drives placement at IRMA Anand for different graduating batches. A total of 1000 partner organisations, from the business sector, PSUs, NGOs, central and state governments, team up with the institute to provide meaningful career opportunities. Summer Placements and recruitment drives form an integral core of the placement initiatives at IRMA Anand, along with summer internship programmes, ICON talks, and fieldwork. These allow students to develop practical skills and acquire a realistic idea of the managerial roles they will take on. Moreover, the recruitment process usually starts with pre-placement talks after interested organisations forward JAF to the institute. Then, the participating organisations are intimated about the interview dates, followed by the placement week.

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