IQAC

Best Practice - 1

Corporate and Alumni Mentoring

The MMS and PGDM Programs offer students the opportunity to learn about the way business is practiced today, under the guidance of top executives and the alumni of the Institute under the banner of mentoring. At NLDIMSR, we build future leaders by providing both an outstanding academic experience and broad exposure to the realities of the business world. The Mentor Program is a partnership between students and the Alumni Students and corporate personnel.

The program is based on mutual interest in developing the talents and abilities of our current students—the future leaders of the corporate sphere. Mentoring a student is rewarding on many levels Students come to realize and value just how much they’ve learned and how much they have yet to learn. The corporate and alumni mentors also reinvigorate students through their experiences, energy and fresh perspectives. Students participating in this part of the Mentor Program are matched with a mentor whose background and experience align with the student’s interests and goals.

Mentors are matched with one to three students depending on particular interests of students each year. The form and frequency of the interactions between students and their mentors vary, but most groups meet three or four times over the course of the academic year. Objective The NLDIMSR Mentoring Program is designed to provide current students with valuable advice beyond the classroom in order to help them grow and develop as a business professional.

Process

1. Corporate personnel and alumni willing to be mentors are selected by the Director for this purpose.
2. They are brought together under one roof for discussing the details of the exercise.
3. Each corporate personnel and alumnus is allocated 5 mentees.
4. The mentors use the very first meeting to outline their expectations of each other and how they will work together. They define acceptable conversation topics, behaviors, and, most importantly, what they both hope to get out of the partnership.
5. The mentors give their mentee specific times that he or she can contact them as well as acceptable modes (e.g., email, WeChat, phone calls).
6. They set ground rules for meetings. Good practices are to (a) Go in with a predetermined agenda or topic, (b) Give your undivided attention while together, and (c) Develop the next steps or action plans to work on after the meeting is over.
7. Mentors instruct the mentees to not shy away from constructive criticism. If in fact the mentees are simply a sounding board or a cheerleader, they wont learn as much from their time together. Be honest with them.
8. The mentors ask the mentees to value the ways in which they are different from other people and use it as a chance to grow and learn. They urge the mentees to ask questions to increase your understanding.
9. Mentors also identify the ways in which they are similar to their mentee and use these as a basis to build trust and rapport.
10. The mentors share their resources with the mentee.

Outcomes

1. It creates a learning culture.
2. Mentoring promotes personal and professional development.
3. It reduces cost of learning.
4. It decreases stress and anxiety. Future Scope Today, it is very easy to go online with professional mentors living in different parts of the world. Online mentoring expunges geographical hurdles as mentor-mentee can connect anytime, anywhere. Sessions can be scheduled faster and held in various modules. With a simple ping or text, the mentee can share the query with the mentor who can respond immediately. Mobile internet has given further impetus to this. Today it is possible to initiate and complete a successful mentorship session fully online. The mentors and mentees need not to meet in person.

Best Practice - 2

Mock Interviews for Placements

The Institute believes that while students want the best job and the best possible career in the best company possible, companies also want the best students in return. Gone are the days when mediocre students would give mediocre interviews and get away with it. The job competition has become fiercer than ever. Thousands of students are graduating each year with a Management Degree. There are approximately 15 students for every job that is available in the market. Three times as many aspirants if the profile is lucrative. There are private classes that are attempting to train students for getting selected at professional courses. These classes conduct mock interviews, Group discussions and Aptitude Tests for the students. Apart from these, there are very few coaching centers that prepare the students for their final placements.

At NLDIMSR we have put in place a team that will train the students for getting job-ready. This team of faculty along with some of the staff for support, has been training the students in the aspect of being successful at job interviews. Objective To prepare students for excelling at job interviews.

Process

1. A team of faculty members/ alumni were appointed for the task of training the students
2. Faculty members/ Alumni conducted the mock interviews with each student.
3. General as well as specific questions were addressed during the training sessions. Some of the general questions included.
    a. Self-introduction
    b. Reason for pursuing an MBA
    c. Reason for selecting their specialization
    d. Information about the company
    e. Strengths and weaknesses
    f. Other interests
    g. Situational questions
4. Apart from this a list of questions related to the specialization were also prepared for the mock interviews.
5. Each faculty suggested the answers to the students depending on the background of each student. It was ensured that no two student got the same type of answers. All the answers were unique in every aspect.
6. After guiding the students in the mock interviews, the students were told to prepare themselves by going through what they learnt.
7. The next round for the same set of students was conducted. During this round, the faculty member sat with some industry personnel, preferably from the HR department of a company.
8. The student after doing an adequate amount of revision, would then appear before this new panel.
9. The new panel would then conduct the mock interview and give suggestions for improvement at the end of it.
10. Students will also appear for a mock interview one day prior to their actual interview. This is not mandatory.

Outcome After undergoing the training sessions

1. Students experience a boost in their confidence level.
2. They get to know the type of questions asked at the interviews.
3. The formulate answers for some of the most obvious questions.
4. The quality of their answers is further refined by discussing each answer with the faculty member.
5. They learn the dressing up, greeting, posture, body language aspects of soft skills.
6. They are fully prepared to tackle questions at the interviews and attain success in the same. Future Scope Mock Interviews can be coupled with Mock GDs and Mock Tests in the next academic year. This will help the student to prepare in every possible way for the selection process employed by any company of their choice.

Best Practice - 1

Almashines

AlmaShines is a leading Alumni Networking Company, founded by3 IIT Kanpur Alumni working towards a vision of mobilizing resources foreducational institutions from their alumni and provide a vibrant environmentfor interaction within its alumni community. Currently, they are serving 300Institutions across 40 Cities in India have been recognized as one of the Top10 Startups of Gujarat. The AlmaShines Alumni Software was selected inconsultation with the Alumni and since February 2018 it serves as a newmilestone in the Alumni Connect programme. It serves an opportunity networkthat provides internship and job opportunities as well as a platform to developa professional network. So as to develop students to be industry ready thisportal connects the Institute and the Alumni for a closer partnership right from admissions of the students to the MBA course till the placement at the end of the course. NLDIMSR Alumni are closely associated with their Alma Mater andcontribute in many ways to the Institute. They are always there for theInstitute as resource persons of various programmes such as Admission panels,Student induction, Mock Interviews, mentoring of the students, Judging variousstudent events, Guest lectures, Visiting faculty, Placement partners etc.Currently NLDIMSR Alumni are spread all over the world and as brand ambassadorsof the Institute they have taken the Institute to newer heights. The AlmaShinesportal that has over 5300 registered Alumni and it provides the much-neededinformation about the Alumni like the various countries that the Alumni areworking, the industries and companies that they are in along with thedesignations etc. It also helps in information sharing and gathering for mutualenrichment. During the Annual Alumni Meets the AlmaShines portal serves as apillar of support for a better coordination and execution of the programmes.

Best Practice - 2

RFID

NLDIMSR Library is fully equipped with latest technology. There are Bar Code Labels on each book. In academic year 2018-19 we have updated our Library with RFID System.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technology that facilitates non line of sight identification of items. Basic elements of comprehensive RFID system for library kind of environment are Tags, Readers and Library Management System.

There are several Important advantages to implement RFID System in Libraries it aids task such as Circulation, re-shelving and theft detection etc.

RFID system can either replace or supplement existing library bar code system. When the costs of labour is taken into consideration for tasks such as check out, check-in, inventory holds, lists, mis-shelved items etc., RFID can prove to be very efficient when compared to traditional bar codes.

In short RFID streamlines work flow in the area of self service, books return, shelf management and Inventory.

Advantages of RFID Technology

Stock Management:

• operations such as managing materials on the shelves, finding items that are missing and identifying mis shelved items are streaming and taking stock regularly will be feasible.

Improved patron services:

• Spending minimal time on circulation operations allows library staff to assist patrons.
• Routine patron services are not disturbed even when libraries are facing staff shortages and budget cuts.

Flexibility and Modularity:

• Ability to add newer products and features as finances and customer needs dictate.
• Expenses of adopting the technology can be managed over a time period.

• Allows for phased funding and more effective use of Institutional budgets.

Security:

• Library item identification and security bit is combined into a single tag, thereby eliminating the need to attach an additional security strip, hence minimizing labelling time & its associated cost.
• Security bit is automatically deactivated & reactivated as materials are checked out and in; hence no separate security procedures are required.

Less time needed for Circulation operations: Implementing RFID will considerably reduce the amount of time required to issue, receive, transport, sort & shelve library materials. Automated check in will reduce staff time required for material handling.

Efficient Inventory Management: Inventory management can be done using handheld reader without closing the library and is at least 10 times faster compared to existing bar code based system. Taking inventory in a RFID based system doesn’t require physical deshelving and shelving of library materials.

RFID System benefits to Patrons

Patrons will spend less time waiting in check-out lines by using self check in – check out system. Patrons find what they are looking for quickly and easily. RFID enabled patron for easy identification.

Implementation of RFID System in NLDIMSR Library

Initially we have purchased RFID Staff Circulation Station – is a plug play multi protocol antenna-reader system specially designed for library circulation desk application. With a read range up to 25 cm it can be used for entry of new books o0r borrowers and issue/return of books at circulation desk. RFID Tags – these Tags are rewritable passive HF tags working on 13.56 MHz frequency. Available in various types and form factors these are used for tagging library materials to uniquely identify particular tagged items using the RFID based automated library management system. We also purchased RFID Middleware Software done compatibility with Koha Library Software for smooth functioning of library automation. This middleware software is a customized application to interface data from various RFID hardware products to the existing library management system. Later we have purchased Handheld Reader – is a basic reader primarily designed for performing activities such as shelf order checking, shelf reading, searching, inventory scanning in library kind of environment. post Covid-19 era, RFID becomes foremost choice for Librarians as Book drop and Handheld Readers are essentially helpful as mentioned below

1. Social distancing can be followed by avoiding long queues
2. No human contact library transactions can be achieved
3. Patron’s identification feasible within range of 5 to 7 CMs (No touch required)
4. Inventory becomes touch-free with help of Handheld Reader

Implementation of RFID system gives emerging technology Experience for Library Staff & Patrons.

Best Practice - 1

The Management Quota for admission to our institute has been voluntarily relinquished to take care of the quality ofstudents taking admissions at NLDIMSR.

Best Practice - 2

Management Review Meetings are conducted once every quarter by the Management, where the concern department,HOD, faculty and staff has to show their progress as well as share their concern with the Management, all ensuringtowards quality improvement in the institution.

Best Practice - 1

Bloomberg Lab for Students

Universities, colleges and corporates around the globe use Bloomberg to bring the real world of finance into the classroom, providing students with access to the same information platform used by leading decision makers in business, finance and government. The Bloomberg Professional service and Bloomberg Terminal seamlessly integrate the very best in data, news and analytics. The Terminal is a 24-hour, global financial services system that provides transparent and reliable financial, economic and government information covering all market sectors. It features company financials, market data spanning more than 20 years, charts, statistics, a communications platform and current news reports. N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research is amongst very few B-Schools in the country and the first in Mumbai to have set up a Bloomberg Finance Lab with 12 Bloomberg Terminals. By bringing Bloomberg Professional Service to the campus, the Institute strategically prepares its students for specific, top-end careers in Banking, Investment Management, Institutional Broking, Investment Banking, and Corporate Treasury Management. The Institute provides extremely focused and high end programs like Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) Bloomberg Essentials Online Training (BESS) with a high degree of practical learning and on-the-job applicability for all students on campus. The Bloomberg at N L Dalmia is designed and implemented to provide an overview of the Bloomberg Professional service so students can get started using this powerful tool. The Main objectives of the Bloomberg certification programme at NLDIMSR are: To Illustrate the world equity Indices, world economic indicators, Statistics, world center banks, Industries and all financial On/ Off market instruments. Liquidity, volatility, maturity, and pricing of various financial instruments issued across domestic and foreign markets. To provide a comprehensive overview how students can import Bloomberg data into Microsoft Excel. It includes a step-by-step guide, cheat sheets and descriptions of recent enhancements. Will also display information on performing Bloomberg calculations in Excel. Analyze Portfolio and risk analytics, monitoring, characteristics, attribution, historical performance pinpoint the sources of active risk in portfolios with fundamental risk factor Models. To get Bloomberg Technical Training Certifications namely Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) and Bloomberg Analyst Certification

Best Practice-2

NLDIMSR E-Cell Formation

Entrepreneurship Cell of NLDIMSR “An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.” – Edward de Bono About E-Cell: The Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell) was formally formed in the A Y 2016-17, The E-Cell is a student-driven body of N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research solely with the purpose to promote and inspire the entrepreneurial spirits among the students. We believe in facilitating the ideas and current start-ups on the campus to help develop them into businesses. The E-cell focuses on providing business knowledge and exposure to the students through seminars, events, debates, competitions, alumni interactions, and interactive sessions with existing Entrepreneurs and Venture Capitalists. Vision: To create an entrepreneurial environment and provide a platform for our students with creative ideas to see themselves as future business leaders. Objectives: Inculcate the passion and spirit among students to pursue entrepreneurship to spread knowledge about entrepreneurship through guest lectures, workshops, etc. Identifying unique ideas and providing a platform to budding entrepreneurs Motivate students to develop their start-ups Activities in progress: E-Cell Magazine Incubation Centre of NLDIMSR Creating a mentor’s pool of people from various backgrounds to cater to the needs of start-ups in the Incubation Centre of NLDIMSR. Working on tie-ups and collaborations with different organizations for opportunities and knowledge expansion. Creating a Wall of Fame for all the start-ups by NLDIMSR students that have been up and running. The E-Cell conducted Guest sessions and experience sharing by eminent entrepreneurs during 2016-17.