Socially Useful Managerial Activities ( SUMA) is a valuable social training for the students. Among other things, the experience helps them to have a broad awareness of the effects of managerial decisions on the socially deprived communities.
Managers need to get an exposure of the management techniques employed by the small setups, especially the ones engaged in social issues like child labour, sustainable development, bio-diversity preservation, caring for the aged and homeless destitutes and street children, educating the less privileged in society and so on, and be more humane in their approach.
Most B-schools in the country have such social work incorporated in the curriculum. This is because of the belief that Managers have an obligation not just to the corporates, but also to the society to which they belong. The training they get from the social organisations helps them to get a broad idea of the effects of their decisions on the socially deprived communities.
The broad guidelines of what could be done during the time period are set out below.
1. Exploring potential for funding sources for the NGO or the Organisation concerned.
2. Meeting up with potential donors and explaining to them the benefits of donating.
3. Preparing documentation needed by the Income Tax department to consider exemption from IT of any donation made to the organisation.
4. Liasoning with government departments for relaxation of any taxes / levies / duties levied on the organisation.
5. Improve public awarness by designing websites and registering e-mail ids, by training people to check their e-mails and reply to them, training people to update their organisation website and designing / DTP for pamphlets / handouts for the organisation.
6. Finding suitable job / productive work in surrounding areas which could generate revenue and promote a feeling of self respect for the inmates, given their physical and mental capabilities.
7. Studying the organisation structure and recommending changes / revamp.
8. Try to redefine the objectives of the organisation and how much the present structure is able to achieve.
9. Finding out how much of each rupee is gainfully and wastefully spent - analysing overhead expenses and real benefits.
10. Scouting around for sources of lower interest rates for capital loans taken by the organisation.
11. Writing project proposal for funding critical activities by external funding organisations.
12. Write articles for publication in major magazines and newspapers about the positive work being done by the organsation.
13. Organising recreational / cultural activities for the inmates of the organisation.
14. Procuring / training inmates to operate and maintain satellite TV/ Computers / Internet etc.
15. Purchase/maintain indoor games for the physical well being of the inmates.
16. Streamlining / preparing documentation for adoption of children from the orphanages.
17. Right To Information (RTI) sensitisation among the people.
18. Planning for sustainable development
19. Saving Olive Ridley turtles
20. Eradicating child labour
21. Energy Conservation / Management
22. Slum Development
23. Tree planting / increasing green cover
24. Bio-diversity preservation
25. Caring for the aged and homeless destitutes
26. Care / education for the street children,
27. Educating the less privileged in society
28. Alchohol de-addiction
29. Drug de-addiction
30. Encouraging organic farming
31. Recharging ground water / Rain Water Harvesting and so on.
The students are requested to take photographs of the organisation and its activities and attach them to the writeups / reports ( about 10 pages, twenty sides) which they are required to submit on their return to the College within the end of the first week. Students can work in groups of 3 each.
Students are required to keep a daily diary of activities during the 3 weeks which will help them to write a very meaningful report.
The best two project work cum reports will be given certificates from the College and will be put up on the college website.
