Latest news with #DepartmentofManagementStudies
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
AI models will soon correctly solve any undergraduate science problems, says mathematician Manjul Bhargava
Noted mathematician Manjul Bhargava said that within a year or two, a few Artificial Intelligence (AI) models will be able to correctly solve any undergraduate science problems. Addressing the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) convocation in Bengaluru on July 11, he said that currently AI remains notoriously bad at doing math and science. 'AI remains notoriously bad at doing math and science. You have all seen the memes and social media posts illustrating the kind of mathematical and scientific announcements that AI often produces with its nonsensical answers to scientific and mathematical questions, which are often wrapped in beautiful written and confident words,' he said. However, he said that, in a couple of years, all this could be different as AI is getting better every day. Better every day 'AI is getting better every day and having got the opportunity to test some of the new versions of language models that have been coming out recently, and which will come out publicly over the next couple of years, I can say with confidence that within a year or two, some AI's will be able to correctly solve any undergraduate science problem. Give any trigonometry problems to some of the AI, they will be able to nail it, and correctly, unlike now,' Dr. Bhargava said. He said that the emergence of such disruptive technologies raises a number of questions like what happens to teaching at institutions like IISc. Future of teaching 'That brings us to a number of questions like what will happen to teaching at institutions like IISc when that happens. As AI does get better across subjects, we will have to constantly reassess, for example, what we should be teaching children in schools,' the mathematician said. He added that with new exciting disruptive technologies will come new challenges and problems, which can only be solved in creative out-of-the-box and interdisciplinary ways. 'Other questions that will arise as AI gets better in various subjects are related to policy. What policies will need to be effected to ensure ethics in AI, and so on,' he added. Medals to 84 students During the convocation, 1,487 PhD and Master's students, and 106 under-graduate students received their degrees. Medals were also conferred on 84 students for their academic excellence. IISc. offers PhD and Integrated PhD programmes, several Master's programmes [MTech, MTech (Res), MDes, MMgmt, MS, MSc(CS), MSc (LS), two undergraduate programmes, four-year Bachelor of Science (Research), and Bachelor of Technology (Mathematics and Computing) programme. Posthumous honour The Prof. B.G. Raghavendra Memorial Medal was awarded to Somwanish Nikhil Chottu posthumously. He passed away a few months ago under tragic circumstances. He was from the Department of Management Studies and had pursued the MMgmt programme.
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Research finds financial inclusion to be crucial for achieving SDGs
A recent study by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and the University of Connecticut has found that financial inclusion significantly improves chances of achieving sustainable development goals. The researchers call for including fintech and financial inclusion policies in development agendas based on their study. They have suggested that policymakers prioritise education and integrate financial education to foster fintech and financial inclusion growth, and help to achieve SDGs. The researchers, including Priya Choudhary and M. Thenmozhi, Head of the Department of Management Studies and CAMS-IITM Fintech Innovation Lab at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Chinmoy Ghosh, Department Head and Gladstein Professor, University of Connecticut, U.S., investigated the influence of financial inclusion on sustainable development goals 2, 3,4, 8 and 9, based on data from 86 countries. A one-of-its-kind attempt, the researchers used access and usage indicators of traditional financial services to develop a financial index. Their research findings were published as an article 'Impact of fintech and financial inclusion on sustainable development goals: Evidence from cross country analysis,' in the journal Finance Research Letters. Ms. Thenmozhi said India had shown consistent growth in its financial inclusion index (FII) from 2011 to 2021, reflecting the impact of major policy initiatives and digital infrastructure expansion. 'Government programmes such as the Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar, and UPI have significantly boosted account ownership and digital transaction volumes. India's fintech sector has expanded rapidly, driven by increasing smartphone usage, digital literacy, and a supportive regulatory environment,' she added. Rural areas, low-income groups, and older populations, however, still face barriers to usage, such as lack of trust, digital skills, and financial awareness, she pointed out. India must strengthen digital literacy campaigns by targeting semi-urban and rural populations with localised and practical education programmes to build trust and awareness around mobile banking and digital finance, she averred. Banks and fintech firms must be encouraged to develop intuitive, multilingual, and accessible mobile apps for low-tech users. She called for expanding reliable mobile and internet networks, especially in remote areas, to support seamless digital transactions. 'Robust cybersecurity frameworks and grievance redress mechanisms to reduce digital fraud and build confidence in mobile banking systems are necessary,' Ms. Thenmozhi said. She suggests developing financial products tailored for underserved groups, such as women, small farmers, and informal workers — integrating credit, savings, and insurance through mobile platforms. The country must support public-private partnerships to combine the reach of banks with the innovation and agility of fintech companies, particularly for credit delivery and last-mile service, she added. The researchers used the global findex survey data from 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2021 and examined the key SDGs - 2 (zero hunger); 3 (good health); 4 (quality education); 8 (decent work); and 9 (industry, innovation). Financial inclusion enhanced savings, employment and investment in education impacting some of the SDGs directly. Access to financial services helps farmers invest in technology, boosts crop yields, smooths medical costs and mitigates health emergencies. Financial inclusion enables investment in quality education and promotes entrepreneurial activity, leading to economic growth. Such moves ultimately significantly impacted gross domestic product and internet access as well, the researchers pointed out.
New Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Re-employment granted to HOD at Periyar University violating norms, allege professors
COIMBATORE: Breaking away from its Act and Statutes, the academic year for 2025-26 at Periyar University starts on June 30, instead of July 1. Professors from the university have alleged that this decision favours the head of the Department of Management Studies, for illegal re-employment for 2025-26. A syndicate meeting, chaired by former Vice-Chancellor (V-C) R Jagannathan, was held on March 3, 2025. According to the syndicate minutes, accessed by TNIE, the retirement age for university teachers is 60. According to the minutes of the meeting, V R Palanivelu, head of the Department of Management Studies will turn 60 on June 14, 2025, and therefore, will superannuate on June 30, 2025. The academic year runs from June 1 to March 31. Since his retirement falls within this academic year, he is eligible for re-employment until March 31, 2026. After the syndicate meeting, the university issued a vacation declaration on April 27, from May 2 to June 30. But the university's Act and Statutes in 'Holidays and Vacations' paragraph states that full-time teachers of the university shall be entitled to a summer vacation of two months, from May 1 to June 30 (both days inclusive). Besides, it noted that the higher education department secretary, on May 22, informed registrars that the reopening date would be July 1.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
GM University to conduct free crash course for PGCET
GM University, Davangere, will conduct a free three-day crash course starting June 2 for management students appearing for the PGCET for MBA course. Addressing presspersons in Davangere on Monday, head of the Department of Management Studies Basavaraju P.S. said that the PGCET for ME and will be held on May 31 and that for MBA and MCA will be on June 22. 'So, in order to help students appearing fort the PGCET for MBA, a team of experts from Bengaluru will be called to conduct the crash course in Davangere,' he said. Prof. Basavaraju said that the crash course will include classes for Proficiency in English language, Test for Reasoning and General Intelligence, General Knowlege, Quantitative Analysis, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. He said that over 150 students from Chitradurga, Honnali, Shivamogga, Haveri, Ranebennur and other places have already registered for the crash course and those interested can register through the link, Students can also send their details through WhatsApp to Ph: 8553654836. Prof. Basavaraju said that in order to help students from the region, the university is also providing information on the PGCET and related issues. Dean Veeragangadhar Swamy, Shreeshail P. and others were present.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Study finds bankruptcy fears impact trade credit decisions of small businesses
A study by researchers has found that people behave differently from established theoretical models when they are faced with bankruptcy, particularly in small business settings. The researchers studied the supply chain business and trade credit models to understand the possibility of better supplier-retailer contracts. Vipin B, assistant professor from the Department of Management Studies at Indian Institute of Technology Madras and a research scholar from IIT Kanpur conducted an experimental study to understand the behaviour of financially constrained retailers, including startups and small businesses, and their inventory decision making patterns in uncertain market demand conditions. Mr. Vipin and Mohd. Mujahid Khan, a research scholar from IIT Kanpur jointly conducted the research, and their findings were published in the Journal of Operations Management. When faced with the possibility of bankruptcy retailers consistently ordered less than predicted by theoretical models. 'We have done an experiment and compared with the theoretical prediction existing in literature. We found that actual behaviour is different from what the theory predicts,' he said. Theoretical models have failed to capture the actual behaviour of humans, he added. 'We developed a model to describe the behaviour observed in our experiment. We considered a financially constrained supplier. A retailer could get credit from the supplier, which is common across the globe. But there is a possibility that if the retailer does not get enough revenue, they cannot pay the supplier, with a possibility of bankruptcy,' he said. The researchers created two scenarios for retailers to decide on the order quantity – becoming bankrupt or surviving it. 'Our research aligns with Daniel Kahneman's Prospect Theory,' Mr. Vipin said. The experiment, a rational model, accurately captured the phenomenon, he remarked. If retailers feared a bankruptcy risk, they ordered lower, unlike what the theory predicted. The pattern depends on the profit margin of the product. Suppliers order more products with a low profit margin and less for high profit margin products. Bankruptcy risk leads to consistent underordering. Though interest rates are competitive the inclusion or exclusion of interest in trade credit does not significantly influence the retailers' ordering behaviour, their experiment found. The researchers call for identifying the gap between theoretical and actual scenarios. Behaviourally biased people who under-order consistently must be incentivised. They suggest trade credit designs to combat uncertain markets. Financial institutions and fintechs could come up with targeted interventions for micro, small and medium enterprises in developing economies where access to finance is limited. In a 2019 report, the World Trade Organisation stated that 80% of global trade finance depended on short-term trade credit or credit guarantees, highlighting the relevance of trade credit in business. Trade financing was estimated to be USD 1.5 trillion annually, with around 40% concentrated in developing Asian countries.
