Chennai : Great Lakes Institute of Management, a top B-School in the country, organized the 1st Annual ‘Karma-Yoga Convention’ at its Platinum Rated LEED certified campus. The Convention witnessed the leaders of the society who play an important role in rural development and also created an opportunity for the villagers to identify their leadership qualities.

The Convention encouraged the villagers to participate in activities such as discussion forums, leading the work force, networking with visiting organizations and also take part in cultural activities such as performing music, dance and theatre. The Convention aims to link all stakeholders and prospective collaborators directly with the villagers for perpetuating enduring partnerships for community development.

In his inaugural speech Dr. Bala V Balachandran, Founder and Dean of Great Lakes Institute of Management said, “It is important that the students get exposure to the external world from the campus during their academic period. This helps them understand what the community requirements are, and what should they, as leaders, give back to society. Karma-Yoga insists that excelling with leadership qualities and transforming the followers is not only required in business environment, but also in the society one lives in.

One of the participants said, “Karma-Yoga programme has helped us look at the leadership qualities within us. Having been brought up in a different set up, opportunities to seek knowledge and learn new things had always been minimal until now. Through this programme we aim to manage our village in a more organized way.”

“The knowledge shared by the students made us think like a strategist,” said another villager who participated in the convention.