Jagan Institute of Management Studies, Sector 5, Rohini organised a Guest Session on “Challenge Yourself for Developing Self Confidence” on 16 July 2021. The session was conducted by Dr. M. L. Munjal, AICTE Distinguished Chair Professor & INSA Honorary Scientist. The faculty members and students from PGDM department marked their presence in the session. Dr. Pratima Daipuria, Dean PGDM, expressed her gratitude towards our esteemed guest Professor Munjal and welcomed him to the session. It was an interactive and well placed session. Professor Munjal shared many incidents from his life which motivated the students and encouraged them to keep on pushing their limits to achieve high laurels.
Professor Munjal apprised the students about his struggles from the good old days. He was just 3 years old when India got independence, he lived in camps and life was uncertain. It took him many years to understand the situation and continue normal course of life.
In his school days, Prof. Munjal heard a quote “Nobody is born intelligent”. It was then he decided to change his life and challenge himself intellectually. He found his interest in Mathematics and Arithmetic. He had no source of entertainment so he used to solve Maths books. It boosted his potential and this was when he started discovering himself.
His father did not have finances to send him to college for higher studies and luckily he found a Govt. Scholarship for his further education.
He went on a vacation to Mysore and missed his bus, this was the turning point in his life. His vacation got extended by two days and he explored Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore. A year later, he got selected and completed his masters in Combustion Engineering
Dr. Munjal always welcomed opportunities with his arms wide open. He was allotted an uncommon topic for his college project. He took it as a personal challenge and gave himself a crash course on the same. He worked and experimented and developed an algebraic algorithm.
He quoted that “ if I would not have challenged myself, I would have ended up any at best a small incremental contribution to the field. Instead I developed a niche for myself”
Professor Munjal was always motivated and enthusiastic about facing challenges, lack of finances, or equipment were never a hurdle for him. This was in turn the best challenge to make wonders. He has been honoured by various National and International Awards. His works are appreciated by people all over the Globe.
Dr. Pratima Daipuria asked him how Management students could increase their creativity. To which Prof Munjal replied that when we come across a problem we must pen down all the relevant thoughts that come to our mind. We must then start approaching the different problems in different ways. He suggested that we must be patient and should not fall back when things don’t go exactly the way we think.
He motivated the students not to settle for less and keep on challenging themselves. He concluded that self confidence is essential but we must avoid over confidence. We must continuously revise our steps and always be ready to face new challenges.
The guest also suggested the students to enjoy their work. He mentioned that creativity increases as we think deeper and deeper and this depth can be achieved by thinking for a problem undisturbed. In the long term conceptual clarity is more important than just mugging up things for examinations.
The faculty members and the students thanked the guest for his precious time and wise words. The session ignited the will to face challenges in all of us.