Sambalpur, July 25: The orientation programme for the second batch of students of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) was held on the Silicon Institute of Technology campus at Sason today.

This year, 50 students, including nine girls, took admission in IIM-Sambalpur. Among others, principal secretary of the skill development and technical education department L.N. Gupta, IIM-S nodal officer Pawan Singh and IIM, Indore faculty member Bijaya Gupta addressed the students. The IIM at Indore is the mentor institute of IIM-S.

Addressing the students, Singh said it was not a journey of two years but a lifetime programme. He also appealed the students to learn with joy. The IIM-S nodal officer advised the students to share knowledge with other students.

L.N. Gupta, in his speech, said managing time was a crucial life skill. He advised the students to always prioritise tasks to achieve the best result in life. "Identify your goal, and work hard to achieve that goal. Be decisive, determined and devoted to achieve it," he said.

He said the state government considered the institute one of the best institutions in Odisha. He said the land for the IIM-S permanent campus had been acquired. "The public works department will shortly build the boundary wall," said Gupta.

The new students were excited. "I was working with Infosys. But, I got a call from IIM-S and left my job to pursue management here. Although it is a bit far from the city, I am satisfied with the other facilities provided to the students here," said Preethi Ignatius, who hails from Kerala. She also appreciated the institute's accommodation facilities.