Arjun Malhotra

Roll No: 1011508

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Hon'ble ChieI Guest, Mr. B.P. Singh, Executive Director at the State Bank oI India.
Chairman, Shri Hari Shankar Singhania, Members oI the IIM Kolkata Society and Board oI
Governors, Parents oI the Graduating Students, Distinguished Invitees, Media Personalities,
Faculty Colleagues, OIIicers, StaII Members, Graduating Students, Students, Ladies and
Gentlemen:
I take this opportunity to extend you all a warm welcome to this 23
rd
Annual Convocation
oI the Institute. One hundred and sixty nine students are graduating today. All my colleagues,
and I extend our heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the graduating students on their
successIul completion oI the Post Graduate Programme in Management oI this Institute.
It is indeed a great honour Ior all oI us to have in our midst, Mr. B.P. Singh, a
distinguished scholar and an administrator oI eminence. Mr. Singh obtained his Masters Degrees
Irom Universities oI Calcutta and OxIord. AIter holding a Lectureship in Political Science at
Calcutta University, he was appointed in 1964 to the Indian Administrative Services. He has
since been the recipient oI several awards and Iellowships including the Jawaharlal Nehru
Fellowship. During the past Iour decades, Mr. Singh has held very important positions - Deputy
Commissioner, Production Commissioner, at the state level. At the Centre, he was Union Culture
Secretary, and Union Home Secretary. Mr. Singh is currently the Executive Director, The State
Bank oI India. His books and articles have been well received both within and outside India. He
has authored Iour books including "The Problem oI Change" and "India's Culture". He is also the
ChieI Editor oI the "Millennium Book on New Delhi". There is lot more to say about Mr. Singh
and his contributions but time won't permit me to do that. However, I would deIinitely like to
mention one thing about Mr. Singh and that is that he is known Ior his landmark contributions in
any assignment that he has handled so Iar.
I, on behalI oI the entire IIM Kolkata community, and on my personal behalI, extend to
you, a very warm and cordial welcome and hope to have your benign presence on the campus in
Iuture also.
We are really very Iortunate to have as our Chairman, Shri Hari Shankar Singhania, a
highly distinguished industrialist oI the country, who despite his very demanding commitments,
has always Iound time to look into all the matters related to the growth oI this Institute. Sir, it is a
matter oI great joy and satisIaction Ior all oI us here at IIM Kolkata that you have accepted the
oIIer oI the Government oI India to guide the destiny oI this Institute Ior a Iurther period oI 5
years, in the third consecutive term. As a token oI our acknowledgement to your contributions, I
Ieel immensely pleased to present to you the Iindings oI the most recently undertaken nation-
wide survey, which ranks your school as number one in the country.
We are also happy to welcome the esteemed members oI the Board oI Governors and IIM
Kolkata Society, who have always provided unstinted help, guidance and support Ior the
development oI our Institute.