The All India Council for Technical Education’s (AICTE) decision to pull the plug on part-time management courses in business schools across the country invoked mixed reactions, mostly amongst the students and the B schools. More than 20000 students in 400 colleges across the country will bear the brunt of this. Experts feel a move like this is denying access to those who wish to study after working hours. Not every student has the privilege of pursuing studies without a financial support, which mostly comes from job. This leaves students with no choice than to go in for the two year MBA program.Is this the way of sieving out the best and deserving candidates? Or is this a loss for those who wish to work and study? While many believe in the former, it is understood that Mr. Suresh Ghai, Director, K J Somaiya Institute of Management and Research has already requested the vice-chancellor of the University of Mumbai to take up the matter with AICTE.

The Career Guide spoke to experts to find out their opinion. Let’s understand what Prof. Ramana Rao has to say about this.

Prof T.V.Ramana Rao after obtaining Master of Engg from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, worked in steel Industry, both in Public Sector and Private Sector for over 20 years, rising to the level of Works Manager. He then switched over to Academics, joined as Faculty in Engg College and obtained Ph.D.through Research (Part-time), while teaching. He retired as Professor in the Engg college after distinguished service of about 19 years,including authoring a Text book -”Principles and Practice of Metal Casting” for both students and practicing Engineers. He is an entrepreneur,having started a SME and also a Consultant in Metal Casting.

After retiring from Engg College, Dr Rao joined ICFAI Business School at Hyderabad, and taught many courses including Business Strategy, Operations Management, Supply-Chain  management, Project Mgt for regular as well as Part-time MBA courses conducted by ICFAI, at their Hyderabad Campus, for over five years. He is also involved in guiding Research in Services Operations for Ph.D. Insights from Prof. Ramana Rao:
Part-time MBA — Reality and Myth
I. NECESSITY:

1. MBA is a post-graduate program, meant to provide insight into the wide-ranging knowledge and skills essential for business professionals and entrepreneurs. Other postgraduate programs like M.Com, M.Sc, M.Tech. M.A. offer exclusive knowledge of a specific field. Unlike pure science, Mgt theories evolved thro organizational experiences and cannot be tested in a Lab.

2. In the present business scenario, team-work and appreciation of problems in other functions is essential for higher mgt positions, even though one might have specific knowledge of his own field like Finance, HR, Marketing or Operations mgt. Like many others, I personally faced the same problem, after rising to higher management position from pure Engineering functions. My lack of knowledge in Corporate Finance, Marketing Strategy and Organizational goal-setting hampered my growth, even though I tried to learn through short-time courses and executive Development programs.

3. Most of the top global business schools insist on 3 to 5 years of on-job experience for a seat in their MBA program. A fresh graduate entering MBA course cannot get as much benefit and value-addition thro case-studies, seminars, discussions and projects as a working part-time student.

II. ACCESSIBILITY:

1. A fresh graduate can join any MBA fulltime program of 2 years but for a working executive, seeking essential additional knowledge, it is impossible to get leave in India.

2. Late evening classes and week-end contact programs provide them the solution.

3. There is no need to provide hostel /Campus stay facilities for part-timers.

4. Projects of real value (not imaginary /academic) can be taken-up by part-timers.

5. They can use partly Library facilities existing in their own organizations.

III. QUALITY:

1. The normal MBA programs offered by colleges affiliated to regular Universities lack many basic aspects like updated syllabus, range of current electives, library and the most important- qualified and experienced Faculty. I am aware of a Faculty member teaching HR in MBA class, without ever setting foot in a real organization, other than hi college!

2. The MBA “teaching” boils down to “dictating notes” and “answers for likely exam questions” without discussions,seminars or case-studies. Students are assured of high grades without many efforts either from their side or from Faculty.

3. The attendance in so called professional course (MBA) in many full-time colleges rarely exceeds 30-50% overall, with students busily attending “other activities”, as there is no fear of failure.In corporate colleges , over 80% students are regular to the classes and are very serious with assignments

4. The low fees-structure and the financial incentives hamper quality infrastructure by management and strong motivation from students.

OTHER ADVANTAGES:

1. The participants in part-time MBA coming from different functional back-grounds learn from each other more effectively.
2. The class room discussions are more lively and valuable as they discuss their direct, specific problems and seek solutions, instead of the highly imaginary and amorphous topics in Text books.
3. The Faculty (including myself) gains much from the working students and creates useful case studies and discussions in other courses.
4. As they are financially and age- wise more superior and mature, the Projects and Seminars are more valuable than from fresh, not so resourceful, regular students.
5. Class room control is easy as the part-timers are serious to add value to the short contact ours, obtained at much sacrifice of their leisure and family life.

DISADVANTAGES:
1. Due to their organizational commitments, many part-timers find it difficult to be regular to the classes is complete assignments in time.
2. Many find it hard to concentrate and tune to the exam-oriented academic requirements, even though they are knowledgeable.
3. Some of the “prosperous” working students tend to ignore academic needs and concentrate on acquiring “MBA” after their name at any cost.
4. The biggest challenge for a part-time Business school is to have mature, experienced Faculty, unlike the fresh graduate “MBA” teachers in regular colleges.
5. Some working executives attend and take seriously only topics directly related to their present job in their organization, defeating the very purpose of MBA study.

Insights from Mr. CVL Raju (Management Consultant)

This is one more typical knee jerk reaction of the academic regulatory body.All the institutes cannot be painted with the same brush. They are good institutes who offer quality management programs on the evening/distance format.“Experienced people learn management much better than freshers”. This is true since a management education is an experience of the real world rather than mugging concepts from a text book. Precisely, for this reason internship program is mandatory for a management student. The student usually acquires theoretical frameworkof management concepts from the book. Such booking knowledge is woefully inadequate to understand the dynamics of the changing world where things constantly change with a frightening pace. In fact the same regulatory body insists that B school curriculum must be
constantly fine tuned to meet the current industry trends.

This is major reason to insist on internship program for a meaningful MBA degree. The student acquires a first hand experience of the real world through internship with an organization. imagine a student who does a “four wall” MBA and walks into an organization as a manager! He has least idea of the boss- subordinate relationship or for that matter can he understand how Maslow’s motivation theory works with his sub ordinate. So the best management student will be one who has the experience of an organization. He knows how the organization throbs and thrives. The most effective way he can pursue his MBA is a part time. Look at the premier MBA institutes who insist on work experience as requisite for MBA program. All the students may not be blessed with the luxury of leaving job and pursuing MBA. It is a very preposterous and ivory tower idea to expect that a student will leave a job for higher studies, particularly in the light of economic environment of a country like India. It is a great disservice by AICTE to deprive a large student populace their legitimate claim to higher education.