Page 37 - Social Impact

PUBLIC POLICY CLUB Vikasana also actively encourages the participation of the IIMB
community to raise social awareness and support social causes.
Working closely with the Centre for Public Policy, the mission The club organizes blood donation camps, and also organizes
of the Public Policy Club is to foster greater understanding of, ‘Twaran,’ where children, students, faculty and alumni of IIMB
and appreciation for, the myriad ways in which business and join hands with many others across states to run a marathon to
public policy interact and to create a strong network of policy help an NGO.
leaders and organizations to serve as professional touch points
for MBAs. Vikasana, a group of 18 students guided by Professor Padmi-
ni Srinivasan (faculty in the Finance & Accounting area, and
In the recent past, the Public Policy Club at IIMB has hosted Chairperson, Centre for Corporate Governance and Citizen-
podcasts and arranged talks on a variety of public policy issues. ship), strives to make a difference in society through the 20-
plus events that it organizes throughout the year.

VIKASANA – LENDING A HAND TO THE LESS
ADVANTAGED EXIMIUS – TOWARDS SHARING OF
KNOWLEDGE, RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND
SUPPORT
Vikasana is the social impact club of IIM Bangalore, aimed to
‘sensitize’ the student fraternity about social issues, ‘leverage’ the
knowledge garnered from the two years of management educa- ‘Social Pact’ is an event to bring together corporate enterpris-
tion, and ‘serve’ the society for its betterment. es and incubators as well as non-profit early-stage ventures
(Non-Governmental Organizations, start-ups in the social sec-
Vikasana organizes fundraising programs throughout the year. tor, etc.), and student teams looking towards making an impact
In the period of 2020-21, Vikasana organized more than ten in the social sector.
donation drives to support the members of the IIMB fraternity
who need financial support. Along with fundraisers, Vikasana Social entrepreneurs and NGOs are crucial in driving trans-
also conducts stand-alone events to support social causes. ‘Cre- formative change, meeting the unmet needs of society, and
ativity for a Cause’ (2021), an event where artwork by students working to implement viable solutions. In the initial stages of
get auctioned during an exhibition, raised more than ₹1.4 lakh, these entities, mentors and partners can play a transformational
and the proceeds were donated to support girls’ education role in guiding them.
in rural areas. ‘One Day at IIMB’ provides MBA aspirants an
opportunity to experience the place to ‘B’ as an MBA student. In recent times, India has witnessed a growth in the number of
In 2021, more than 100 participants registered, and the funds NGOs and social enterprises. However, to buoy their chances
raised were donated to an NGO focusing on sustainable envi- of making a strong impact on society, sound mentorship and
ronment, malnutrition and healthcare. Vikasana also organizes funding become very important. ‘Social Pact’ is conceived
‘Make a Wish,’ an event that aims to fulfill the wishes of children with the aim to bridge the gap between social enterprises and
from various NGOs. NGOs, and corporate enterprises who can incubate them, thus
STUDENT CLUBS facilitating sharing of knowledge, resources, expertise, and sup-
Vikasana organizes outreach programs to address social con- port. It provides a platform for the corporate organizations to
cerns and provide support to organizations making a difference gain access to these entities which are filtered through suitable
in society. Vikasana, in collaboration with Vista, conducted evaluation methodologies, thus providing an opportunity to
IIM Bangalore has several clubs offering a multitude of oppor- ‘Sparsh’ – a case competition where a real-life problem of an identify and collaborate with them to make sustainable social
tunities to the students. The school has a large number of stu- NGO was solved through the active participation of students. impact.
dents who are involved with one or more of the social impact In 2021, the event saw participation from over 1700 students
clubs. These clubs conduct events and activities which explore across the country. To support early age NGOs and social enter- Incubators and Corporate Enterprises in Social Pact '21:
social and environmental issues. The idea is to build a network prises founded by students in the start-up phase, Vikasana, in NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore
of young leaders committed to using the power of business association with Eximius, organized the ‘Social Pact,’ where the Digital Impact Square, TCS Foundation
ventures were connected with organizations providing incuba-
Titan DIM
to create a better world. The clubs also help in nurturing the tion and monetary support. Sattva Consulting
talent pipeline for future social impact leaders.
Before the pandemic hit us, Vikasana organized ‘Teach to Trans-
form,’ where the students tutored children of IIMB non-teach-
ing staff. The sessions focus on academics, sports, craft, and
holistic development. Vikasana spearheads the ‘Vikasana-IIMB
Scholarship’ program, where more than ₹10 lakh was given
to children of over 200 non-teaching staff of IIM Bangalore,
in 2021. ‘Dhanyavadagalu’ is the event where students experi-
ence the joy of giving by distributing a token of gratitude to
more than 500 non-teaching staff of IIM Bangalore. Vikasa-
na supports underprivileged schools for their infrastructure
needs through ‘Unnati.’ Vikasana also organizes ‘Sarthak,’ where
children from various NGOs are invited to the IIMB campus to
experience a day full of learnings, fun and memories.

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