Anand, June 28, 2025: Shri Acharya Devvrat, Hon’ble Governor of Gujarat, graced the 44th Convocation Ceremony of the Institute of Rural Management Anand, ‘Tribhuvan Sahkari University’ as the Chief Guest. Shri Jagdish Vishwakarma, Hon’ble Minister of State for Cooperation, Gujarat also graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. The event was presided over by Dr JM Vyas, Vice Chancellor, Tribhuvan Sahkari University and was joined by Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Dr Umakant Dash, Director, IRMA.
A total of
329 students were awarded degrees across the PGDM(RM), PGDM(RM-Executive), and FPM(RM)
programmes. This convocation holds special significance as the first since
IRMA’s transformation into the Tribhuvan Sahkari University – an
Institution of National Importance under the Ministry of
Cooperation, Government of India.
Delivering
the Convocation address, the Hon’ble Governor of Gujarat said, “IRMA and now
the “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University, is the realisation of a big dream shared by
Dr. Verghese Kurien and the late Tribhuvan Das ji Patel, who devoted his entire
life to the welfare of farmers through cooperatives. A revered contemporary,
Sardar Shri Vallabhbhai Patel, also worked tirelessly for the upliftment of
rural lives. These three visionaries believed that the comforts and facilities
available to urban citizens should equally reach people in villages — enabling
them to lead lives of dignity and opportunity.”
“Through the
visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, our country is
advancing at a rapid pace, doubling the milk revolution. Farmers will prosper,
the rural economy will grow, and a new milestone will be set in India’s
cooperative sector,” the Hon’ble Governor said.
Reiterating
the Prime Minister’s vision for a prosperous rural India, he added, “This University
of Cooperation is the outcome of the far-sighted thinking of Prime Minister
Modi and Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji. From the land of Gujarat, the
Cooperative University now aims to take this idea forward in the spirit of
nationalism.”
During the
ceremony, the prestigious Kuchibhotla Vasanthi Gold Medal for academic
excellence was awarded to Ms Mallika Tripathi, PGDM(RM). This highly esteemed
recognition was established 27 years ago in honour of the Late Ms Kuchibhotla
Vasanthi, an alumnus of the PGDM(RM) programme who tragically passed away in
1997.
Mr Rahevar
Jaypalsinh Mahendrasinh, from the fifth batch of the PGDM(RM-Executive) was
awarded the IRMA Gold Medal for academic excellence in the PGDM (RM- Executive)
programme.
Ms Eva Soni
from the graduating batch of 2023-25, was honoured with the ‘Best Village
Fieldwork Segment Award’.
Mr Nirav
Karshan Karavadra from PGDM(RM) 2023-25 received the Prof. Shiladitya Roy
Memorial Award for excellence in the Financial Management course. Mr Sahil
Kumar from PGDM(RM) 2023-25 was honoured with the Prof. Monark Bag Memorial
Award for excellence in the Operations Management course.
Presenting
the report of the Institute, Dr. Umakant Dash, Director, IRMA shared key
achievements from the past year, reflecting the institution’s growing impact.
He shared that IRMA rose to the 49th rank in the prestigious
NIRF rankings. The Ravi J Matthai Library of the institute advanced its digital
infrastructure with the launch of a mobile app, along with the deployment of an
RFID-based automated system from Switzerland. IRMA faculty contributed
significantly to knowledge creation, publishing 94+ research articles, along
with books and policy papers, cementing IRMA’s position as an academic leader
in the rural management space. IRMA also signed notable MoUs with organisations
like the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India;
Government of Odisha; Next Bharat Ventures, Suzuki; while offering Consultancy
services to key organizations and institutions, including the 16th Finance
Commission.
Students from
the 44th batch of IRMA have been placed in organisations of
repute with median package of Rs 15.8 lakh per annum. The highest
CTC offered was Rs 31.84 lakh per annum. Of the several organisations that
participated in the campus, BFSI remained the dominant recruiter, while FMCG,
CSR, and Social Business Enterprises also recruited actively.
