ACTIVITY : Induction Program – 15 th to 21 st July 2024 for BBA Batch 2024-28

Objective:

1. To welcome the new batch with flare and enthusiasm.
2. To familiarize the students with the curriculum and way of life at SCMS Hyderabad.
3. To habituate the students with the campus facilities.

Outcome::

1. Make the students understand their new environment better.
2. Ensure a smooth transition from school to college.
3. Develop bonds with their batch mates and other SCMS students.

Report:

DAY 1 Monday, 15 th July 2024:

The first day of the Induction week arrived with much anticipation and expectations. It started with the registration of the new students and distribution of induction kit. The members of the Art Club, Kala, put together a rangoli of flowers, symbolizing the blooming arrival of the newest batch of SCMS-H.

The event started with the host for the day, Jigyasa Srivastava a student of BBA V semester, welcoming everyone with warm greetings and standing true on Symbiosis’ motto of “Everyone is family.” She then requested the dignitaries for the lightning of the lamp, a symbol for lighting new relationships and passing on the torch to a new batch of students. Sejal Tedla, a student of BBA batch 2022 – 2025, facilitated the dignitaries.

This was followed by the felicitation of the guest of honour with a token of appreciation.

Ms. Jigyasa then invited Dr. K. P. Venugopala Rao, the Director of SCMS for the welcome address. Dr. Venugopala graced the stage with a smile and congratulated the students and their parents, citing that the students beat an odd of 25:1 to be able to sit here. He emphasized the goal of SCMS – H “We are here to make socially conscious business leaders.” His speech, short but effective, was laced with humour. Sir pointed out that the reason the Homo Sapiens are on the top of the animal kingdom is because we gossip, that is, communicate. Further, he delved into the 3 C’s which are key to understanding: Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity.

Next, Dr. Santosh Aghav, the director of SLS Hyderabad was invited and he greeted the guests and students. His charming personality shone through his words as sir provided crisp mantras to the new addition at our campus. “Be positive. Neutralize your thoughts. You have to see the past, present, and future”, “Good manager always manages, bad managers always make excuses.” Dr. Aghav concluded, with an advice on personal development: “Volunteer for your progress.”

Now, the stage was set for the guest of honour, Mr. Charles J Rajiv, Founder & Director of Ahavah Khen Global Services Private Limited, Hyderabad to grace the stage and address the audience.

Mr. Charles started his session with a heartfelt congratulation to the parents sitting in the audience, and proceeded to congratulate the students as well. Making the session interactive Mr. Charles asked the students to look at their own palms; a physical embodiment of the adage, “Your life is in your hands.” It’s in our own hands to increase our skills and knowledge, and most important of all, to boost our self-esteem. After all, confidence is key.

He provided ample guidance for the new batch, which included working on themselves, their careers, and building their network. The guest of honour closed his address with a quote from Peter Drucker: “The best way to predict a future is to create it.”

This was followed by a vote of thanks by Dr. Disha Pathak, the Academic In-Charge of SCMS- H. She hoped that, “the students will take charge of themselves instead of depending on others.”

The inaugural session concluded with a group photograph and a plantation drive. The dignitaries as well as the staff and students enthusiastically participated in the plantation drive highlighting their commitment towards a green and eco-friendly campus. Around 95 trees were planted which included Neem, Custard apple and Black plum trees.

Post-lunch the ice-breaking session was conducted by Ms. Surekha Admulam, aimed at fostering the interpersonal relationships amongst the students. A number of activities were part of the ice breaking session to help students get well acquainted with one another and make them feel comfortable in the new campus environment.

It was a lively session with a lot of small exercises including the “Rabbit, Hunter, Wall” game to facilitate quick-thinking, strategy making, and co-operation among the students. Her advice was, “Your network is your net worth.”

DAY 2 Tuesday, 16 th July 2024

The second day of induction began with air of enthusiasm that was alleviated by, Sanjana Sreejit’s, excellent hosting skills, the host for the day. A student of BBA III semester she started with telling the students that “As you embark on this exciting journey, we promise you: challenging academics that will sharpen your minds; inspiring faculty who will guide you; lifelong friendships that will enrich your lives; and unforgettable experiences that will shape your future.”

With a lively introduced, she invited Dr. S. Anand Reddy, Head - L&OD Hetero Group to take a session on “Psychology of a Winner” for SCMS-H.

Using common place examples Dr. S. Anand Reddy was able to connect and catch the attention of the audience. He said the way you look at situations determines your mindset.” In the same vein, he quoted Tony Robins, “Success is 80% psychology and 20% mechanics.”

This incredible corporate session was followed-up by Dr. Disha Pathak briefing about the academics at SCMS-H. Dr. Disha explained in detail the number of courses which each student has to take up in each semester. She also explained about the credits, specialization offered and the distribution of marks between continuous assessment and end term examination.

Then, Dr. Ishaq Ahmad Dar Assistant Professor SCMS-H was called upon to highlight the activities of the Entrepreneurship Cell at SCMS-H. Dr. Dar talked about the vision and mission of the cell. He further elaborated on how the cell aspires to develop entrepreneurial orientation and groom entrepreneurial skills to start and manage startups and SMEs. Dr. Dar also threw light on the activities planned in the upcoming academic session including business development plans, expert talks, industrial visits, mentoring and entrepreneurial research.

Next up, the Campus Administrator of the Hyderabad Campus, Col. T Venugopal (Retd), was invited to the stage. Sir brought along his entire team, to familiarize with the students about the staff that were responsible for making their stay at the campus safe and comfortable.

Sir briefed about the various facilities offered by the institute and the general guidelines about the Dos and Don’ts. He advised the students to practice self-discipline, cultivate healthy habits and use time judiciously.

The next speaker for the day was Mr. Nicholas Ross, Head Corporate Relations SIBM Hyderabad. Mr. Ross spoke about the importance of communication in business. Sir began his session by posing the following question to the students, “Is communication important? Why?” This brought forward some greatly thought-out answers, which sir appreciated. He told the students, “The beauty of communication is that at every moment you’re communicating something to someone, even when you’re silent.” It was an entertaining session with students learning about the importance of communication through a small group activity.

Examinations are an essential part of academics. Dr. Syed Masroor Hassan, Faculty Incharge Examinations, explained the examination process in detail. Dr. Hassan emphasized that 75% attendance is mandatory for appearing in the examination. Dr. Hassan also talked about the evaluation and re-evaluation process as well as the benefits of securing a higher CGPA. Dr. Hassan reminded the students that the university has a zero-tolerance policy towards use of unfair means and explained the quantum of punishment for different categories of unfair means.

Day two concluded with an introduction to the various student clubs working at SCMS-H. Each club representative showcased the club activities and thereby the boundless talent of their group members.

The Cells & Clubs included: The Marketing Cell, The Finance Cell, The HR Cell; Kala (Art Club); Hunar (Dance Club); Manoranjan (Drama Club); Ikshana (ISR Club); Sahitya (Literature Club); MUN Club; Nirvana (Music Club); Capture (Photography Club); Prachar (PR Club); Athlos (Sports Club); and the EDC (Entrepreneurship Cell).

At this point, the sessions were over for the day – but the day itself wasn’t! The seniors had planned a student activity, and after a buffer time of 1 hour, the students were told to gather in the Academic Block for a game of Dodgeball.

The new batch was divided into two teams and they were told to form a circle each. Then, like all sports are, a healthy competitive game began – leaving behind only 2 Dodgeball Champions.

DAY 3 Wednesday 17 th July 2024:

The 3 rd day began with the day’s host, Alishala Sai Suhitha, student of BBA III semester opening with the quote, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fail.” It is an astute observation about the resilience of humans – a quality which is a must in the corporate world.

After greeting everyone present, Suhitha welcomed Dr. Ravi Kiran, Assistant Professor SCMS- H to the stage for a briefing on the International Cell of SCMS-H. Dr. Ravi said that the cell serves as a pivotal platform for students to engage in a myriad of collaborative international programs, fostering global perspectives and cross-cultural experiences. By providing access to opportunities such as summer schools such as COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), International Olympiads and the Youth Model ASEAN Conference, thereby broadening their academic and cultural horizons. A key function of the International Cell is to offer comprehensive support to students, ensuring they have the necessary information and resources to fully participate in these international initiatives.

The corporate guest for the day was Dr. Kiran Aidhi, Founder & CEO of Zuvinash Consulting, Hyderabad.

Ma’am’s session was on “Gender Sensitization & Inclusivity.” She began her interactive session with an activity wherein the students were segregated based on certain descriptions, such as “loves to dance,” “knows more than 3 languages,” etc. While the activity itself was very simple, it had profound lessons to draw from.

Ma’am further talked about the different kinds of biases faced in the real world like gender bias, caste and race bias, among others. Her session was a lesson on understanding the damage such biases and segregation cause, and thus sympathizing with those affected.

The second guest for the day was Mr. Chakravarthy Rajamani, who is currently the Chief Acceleration Officer of LooCafe, Hyderabad.

Sir’s session was on “Entrepreneurship,” and he began it by saying: “Don’t get drugged by your degree or your job. Instead of just following the curriculum, follow your dreams, write down your ideas and work towards them.” An entrepreneurial mindset requires an individual to “Break the chain of 9 to 5 jobs.” After all, a degree will get you a job, but only passion and determination will grant you the opportunity to build the life you want.

Post-lunch sessions saw two more briefs: One on the Research Cell by Dr. Ishaq Ahmad Dar, wherein he talked about the vision of the research cell and how the cell is engaged in providing and creating a healthy research atmosphere for the faculties and students. The outcome of the cell was showcased in the form of research papers presented by BBA students at INCONSYM- 2024. Dr. Dar also briefed about the planned research activities under the research cell.

Another brief was on the Learning & Research Centre –& Research Mr. Vemula Srinivas,Librarian SCMS-H.the Sir spoke about the services provided by the library,the resources available,how to avail and make best use of these resources. Mr. Srinivas also talked about rules & regulations to be followed when availing these services and the extended library timings during the examination period. This brief session was followed by a tour of the library.

Once the students reported back to the lecture theatre, they were in for a fun surprise: A JAM Session! It was an activity which showcased the sharp thinking and creativity of the students.

DAY 4: Thursday 18 th July 2024:

The 4 th and final day of campus activities was hosted by, Mahalakshmi Anugna, a student of BBA III semester with a quote: “Management is doing things right, leadership is doing right things.” It set the tone for the upcoming events of the day.

The first guest of the day was Mr. Emmanuel Gosula, Senior Resource Development Manager, EPAM Systems Hyderabad. An expert in the field of human resource and talent development who shared his experience on “How to excel as a team.”

Sir began his session with a brief introduction of himself and EPAM, his verve about teaching the students evident in his mannerisms and speech.

He shared his experience about how to manage your time efficiently, sir insisted, “One of the success factors is to define your goals. When I get my invitations to talk, the first thing I ask is, what is the agenda? What do we want to achieve at the end of this session? Before I spend my personal time, you want to be clear right?”

Sir said, “We all come from different attitudes, different personalities, it is important that we respect each other.” Moreover, we should learn the tact of dealing with team members, which means the art of making a point without making an enemy. It was an engrossing session Next, Anugna introduced the second guest of the day – Dr. Mamatha Raghuveer, an accomplished woman who has dedicated her life for the betterment of the community, by fighting against child marriage, trafficking, and other social evils.

Ma’am began her session with short eye-opening video clip highlighting her struggles to eradicate the numerous maladies inflicting our society. She also spoke about the activities of her NGO namely, Tharuni, and enjoined everyone to be a part of this campaign for the good of the society at large.

Dr. Mamatha’s sensitive and important session was followed by a brief overview about the sports and wellness activities at SCMS-H. Mr. Avinash Deshmukh, Sports Office at DSRW, Hyderabad Campus, spoke about SIU Inter-Institute and Intra-Institute sports and fitness opportunities.

Next, a brief session was conducted by Mr. Aakash Sharma, Bank Manager, Union Bank about the banking facilities at SCMS-H.

Post lunch a session on mental health was jointly conducted by Ms. Areeba Siddiquah, Campus Counsellor and Mr. Yerrassani Joshua, Junior Counsellor, SCEW.

Ma’am talked about mental health and how the new environment, the new people, and the stress of college might affect it. She urged the students not to suffer in isolation; She continued, “When you feel you cannot find peace with the people around you, we are here.”

Sir agreed, “We are here, we are the path to recovery.” He further talked about motivation and self-care: “You do it for your body, for your mind.”

The session concluded with an opportunity thrown open to the students to become about Mental Health Ambassadors, at the campus and earn a certificate for the same.

' This session thus came to a close, however, the final piece of the day’s puzzle was yet to be slotted – A student-led activity which turned out to be a business quiz!

DAY 5: Friday, 19 th July 2024:

On day 5, the students had a few introductory classes in the earlier hours of the day, however the evening slot was wide open for a student-led activity.

A treasure hunt activity was conducted which served as a way to engage the juniors in a fun and educational experience. Participants were divided into teams and given a series of clues to solve, leading them to various locations around the campus. The activity aimed to foster teamwork, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage effective communication in a timely manner among the juniors.

DAY 6 &7 Saturday and Sunday 20 th & 21 st July 2024:

The weekend brought with it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the students to go on a trek at Deccan Trails, Hyderabad under the abled guidance of Mrs. Nidhi Bandaru, who is an incredible coach with an incredible zest for life.

According to the students, it was fun time in the woods, and they brought back fond memory with them to cherish forever.

With the weekend over, so was the Induction Week for SCMS-H’s Batch of 2024 – 2028.