Avinash Azad
Marking a decade of academic excellence, Director, IIM Jammu, Prof. B.S. Sahay urged citizens to actively shape a developed India by shifting their perspective on national service—reframing it not merely as a duty, but as a sacred act of seva. Prof. Sahay shared these remarks while speaking to the media on the institute’s 10th Foundation Day.
Speaking during a press conference, Prof. Sahay said, “Our great nation has done everything for its people, now it’s our duty to return.” “For me, it is not duty to serve the institution that came to existence 10 years ago, but it is my service to this institute, to my nation,” he said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047, Sahay said, “It is our duty to take our nation at new height, by contributing the seva, not the duty.”
Explaining the distinction, he said, “Duty keeps us confined to few hours, but the seva encourages us to give our 24X7 to the nation.” Responding to a question about Gen-Z and the pressure faced by young people, Sahay said the opportunities available to youngsters today were much greater compared to the past.
“Earlier there was limited scope for youngsters, limited colleges, universities. Now we have ample number of IIMs, IITs, AIIMS, Central Universities,” he said. He said parents should therefore avoid putting undue pressure on their children and instead allow them to live a “pressure-free life” so that they can perform to the best of their ability.
“If you give them free hand, certainly they will achieve the best,” Sahay said. Recalling the journey of IIM Jammu over the past decade, the Director said the institute had started its functioning ten years ago with just 45 students at the old campus of the University of Jammu.
“Later we continued in rented accommodations for years, now the IIM has an Art of Living campus here at Jagti Nagrota with over 1600 students working in their respective streams to make their dreams true,” he said. During the press conference, Sahay also highlighted the achievements of IIM Jammu over the last ten years and its growth from a small beginning to an institution with more than 1,600 students.
The Director was accompanied by Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean, Faculty and Research; Prof. Nitin Upadhyay, Dean, Academic, IIM Jammu; and former Director of AIIMS Jammu, Dr. Shakti Gupta and others. The 10th Foundation Day celebrations marked a decade of IIM Jammu’s journey, with the institute’s leadership underlining its contribution to education and the larger national development vision.
