Lucknow: Drawing direct parallels between corporate decision-making and public administration, Sarojininagar MLA Rajeshwar Singh on Friday dubbed politics as the toughest form of management.He was addressing MBA students, research scholars, faculty members and outreach educators at the Leaders’ Express session organised under Manfest–Varchasva, the annual flagship festival of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow. The interaction evolved into a focused discussion on how management principles operate in real-world governance and nation-building. Singh lauded IIM Lucknow’s academic stature, calling it an institution that shapes responsible leaders rather than merely awarding degrees. He cited its consistent national and global rankings, including a top-5 position in NIRF 2025, high standing among IIMs, strong global presence in the Financial Times Masters in Management rankings, and triple crown accreditations, as indicators of institutional excellence. Responding to questions, he said an MLA’s role involves continuous crisis management, execution oversight and stakeholder engagement, often on a 24×7 basis. He highlighted the responsibility of coordinating development works across 42 departments, monitoring over 100 central and state schemes, and personally handling thousands of public grievances through physical and digital platforms. On inclusive growth, Singh pointed to deep economic inequalities and urged future managers to ensure that development reaches the lowest strata of society. Speaking on the future, he underlined digital education, youth skilling and technological readiness, citing initiatives such as smart classrooms, ICT labs and large-scale distribution of laptops and tablets in Uttar Pradesh. He also warned about the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and the need for continuous reskilling.
