Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) has roped in renowned architect Hafeez Contractor & Associates to prepare its campus Master Plan and the design of the new academic block and hostels.
The institute, which was established in 1961, is going in for a complete transformation of its existing 135 acre campus on the Diamond Harbour Road, at Joka in Kolkata.
Campus transformation
As per the proposed plan, a new academic block and new hostel capacity of about 1,000 students would be added apart from revising the Master Plan of the campus, said a press statement issued by IIMC. While the architectural and engineering planning, design and estimation would be done by Hafeez Contractor and his team, the project would be executed by CPWD.
According to Shrikrishna Kulkarni, Chairman, Board of Governors (BoG), a comprehensive exercise was initiated shortly after Prof. Anju Seth joined as director to develop a phased plan to upgrade the residential and academic infrastructure at the Joka campus to international standards with the involvement of numerous stakeholders.
“While we evaluate and reengineer our programs and activities to support our vision and mission, we are also sensitive to our role in society as a national asset. The campus transformation will enable us to increase our student enrolments in line with the national need to ensure that economically weaker sections of our society also have the opportunity for a world-class education,” he said in the release.
Environment-friendly infrastructure
IIMC proposes to construct a “futuristic, environment-friendly and ecologically-sensitive”, state-of-the-art infrastructure. It would be a net zero energy, zero discharge and net zero waste smart campus which would be accessible and disabled-friendly, Prabhakar Singh, Member of the BoG, said.
“Among our numerous forward-looking steps to build on IIMC’s strong reputation towards global eminence, I am delighted that we have achieved this milestone as we approach our Diamond Jubilee. In preparation for the next 75 years, IIM Calcutta envisions world-class futuristic infrastructure and campus amenities devoted to principles of sustainability as corresponding with our aim to attract the most talented faculty, students and thought leaders, and provide an environment befitting the best. This will also boost our bid for global collaboration and increase international participation in our programmes,” Prof Seth said.
West Bengal government had recently allotted IIMC a prime land at a highly concessional rate in New Town, Kolkata to set up a satellite campus. This would help support the institute’s plans to strengthen and expand its programs, she added.