Central University of Bihar vice-chancellor Janak Pandey addresses the session at IIT-Patna on Friday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Interpersonal skills are essential to be successful and happy in all aspects of life.

Sharing this point of view, course co-ordinator M.B. Sharon on Friday announced the launching of a three-day course on interpersonal skill for professionals at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Patna.

The three-day course, organised by school of humanities and social science, IIT Patna, would help 26 participating candidates from various organisations in brushing up their communicative, behaviour and other skills to help them climb the career ladder.

Chief guest and Central University of Bihar (CUB) vice-chancellor Janak Pandey said: “Interpersonal skill is a new term which was introduced around two decades ago. All institutions are now making it mandatory for their employees to cultivate interpersonal skills. Besides corporate world, one needs such skill for overall development in life.”

Pandey added: “The British Medical Council has mandated interpersonal skills for doctors before they are issued certificate to practice.”

Course co-ordinator Sharon said: “Generally, we find persons from technical fields who have technical minds or which can be known as convergent minds. However, humanities help a person in developing his divergent mind.”

IIT, Patna, director A.K. Bhowmick said: “In US, if you don’t develop interpersonal skills, you will lose your job as big companies there are making it mandatory for their employees to learn interpersonal skills.”