Students Innovative Ideas

"Shy of funds but desperate for innovative ideas, the state government has turned to Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B) students for solutions to critical problems plaguing government departments."

Around 65 post-graduate programme students spent four months collecting samples, conducting field visits, interacting with stakeholders and analyzing data to come up with solutions for 15 issues forwarded by the government which included issues like handling biomedical waste to studying rural BPOs, to even hygienic fish marketing. The assignment was taken up as part of the elective course on management of government services.

All students who opted for the elective have been part of the project and the response from the government has been overwhelming. While the students got hands-on experience at the field level, principal secretaries of several departments called in to thank us for the out-of-the-box solutions suggested," professor S Nayana Tara, who teaches Public Systems at IIMB

Pills for many ills

1. Homes and orphanages


2. Dedicated police force at children homes


3. Request doctors from nearby hospitals to carry out regular mental and physical check-ups


4. Vocational training such as tailoring or baking over four months at homes 2 Policy on proper usage of public property (urban development department) Transfer all lakes to Lake Development Authority, give more teeth to fight encroachments


5. Make Lokayukta and the Comptroller and Auditor General as watch dogs and pressure groups to protect lakes


6. Set up a system of public notification (online) by displaying all data pertaining to parks/ lakes/ tanks in public domain


7. Establish wetland reserves for lakes which have significant flora and fauna 3 Job availability for ITI and polytechnic students (department of technical education)


8. Knowledge sharing portal for each institute; department portal for services to institutes


9. Starting online certification exams and e-learning modules for skill enhancement


10. Have tie-up with job portals 4 Quality and hygienic fish marketing in Karnataka (department of fisheries) Developing the Matsya chilled fish brand Setting up exclusive outlets to promote chilled fish products Organise fish mela and run fish vans in cities 5 Weavers' loan waiver programme (department of handlooms and textiles)


11. IT-based systems to keep track of all weavers Providing working capital in the form of soft loans for six month to improve cash flow of small weavers


12. Remove monopoly of some banks in loan disbursement 6 Effectiveness of Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (Teqip) Phase I (department of technical education) Formation of institute-industry interaction cell Creating an entrepreneurial cell Measuring faculty load factor 7 Truck terminals in Karnataka (transport department of transport) Provide social amenities such as rest houses, eating houses and medical centres for drivers


13. GPS to facilitate transport operators in tracking and monitoring truck operations Engage NGOs to create awareness on social issues such as drunken driving, AIDS, etc 8 Need and scope for aquaculture in Karnataka