‘Indian cities lack basic amenities’

IIMB graduates urged to use their skills to fix our cities

Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Indian Council for Reseach on International Economic Relations Isher Judge Ahluwalia presenting the Best All-Round Performer certificate to Ritesh Agarwal during the annual convocation of the IIM-Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P

Indian cities are “visibly deficient in the services they provide,” Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Chairperson, Board of Governors, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, said here on Thursday.

“Who would want to invest in our industry and services sectors if our cities cannot provide basic amenities?” Ms. Ahluwalia said while delivering the convocation address at the 39th annual convocation of the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIMB). “Use your management training to fix our cities,” she told the young graduates.

Certificates were given away to 541 students who had successfully completed post-graduate programmes in management, software enterprise and public policy, and executive post-graduate programme in management and a fellow programme in management.

If India is to attract skilled people who bring in innovations, create employment opportunities and generate wealth, it is necessary to improve our cities in terms of providing better public transport facility, solid waste management system besides providing drinking water and good roads, she said while delivering a lecture on “The challenges of urbanisation in India.”