David Cameron visited Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM C) – a leading business school situated in the state of West Bengal in the western part of India. This was his first visit ever to Calcutta. Cameron regaled the audience with his experiences and his take on India-UK relations. Today we bring you a students view of his visit in the words of Jay Puranik. Jay is a second year student in the PGP programme at IIM C and part of the IIM Calcutta External Relations Cell.
By Jay Puranik
14th November 2013 will be marked as a special day in the history of IIM Calcutta. That’s the day UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron visited the premier B-School to address the students in an open session with questions and answers. For the students, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Mr. Cameron in person and have their questions answered by the Prime Minister.
The magnificent auditorium of IIM Calcutta was packed to capacity and saw students eagerly awaiting the arrival of Mr. Cameron with baited breaths.
When the Prime Minister came on the stage, he was greeted by a loud round of welcoming applause. He sent the students into frenzy when he said, “I am very happy to be at IIM Calcutta. It gives me pleasure to be in the right place at the right time and with the right people. IIM Calcutta undoubtedly has the brightest Indian minds and is one of the best universities in the world for management education.”
On being asked about the importance of Calcutta in strengthening the relations between UK and India, he promptly responded, “Kolkata has some of the leading universities and certainly plays a key role in the relations between UK and India.” He added that the economic relations between UK and India are already strong and cited examples including that of Jaguar-Land Rover. He also stated that strategic-management is required to further strengthen the ties. Mr. Cameron stated that Kolkata has always been a place where physics, poetry, culture and several other academic activities thrive. He mentioned that it has been 100 years since Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize.
Mr. Cameron mesmerized the students with his quick humour and sharp wit as well when asked about his thoughts about Sachin Tendulkar’s last test match being played in Mumbai. “I am a follower of the English cricket team and am relieved that Sachin’s last test is not against us!” He further quipped that Sachin’s mother-in-law is English and that we can expect his kids to play for England! On a serious note, he remarked that Sachin’s career is truly one to be celebrated. It is not just the enormous number of runs that he has scored, but his class and his quality that really makes him great – and that is what should be truly celebrated.
Asked about his views on a coalition government, he said that politicians must keep the best interest of the country in mind and cited examples of how his government opted for a coalition government rather than a minority government when faced with a hung parliament.
Mr. Cameron also stated that he believed that a common currency has beneficial effects such as similar regulations, flexibility in trade and a sense of integration that among the countries using a common currency. He added that political collaboration is required amongst the Euro counties to overcome the political challenges they face.
A student asked an interesting question regarding the security and privacy concerns of individuals whose personal data was being scanned by intelligence and security agencies in USA, UK and China. A start contrast was drawn stating that when USA and UK monitor individuals’ data, it is written off as a necessity for national security whereas when China does the same, it is interpreted as a violation of individual privacy. [pullquote]A student asked why is it that when USA and UK monitor an individuals’ data, it is written off as a necessity for national security but when China does the same, it is interpreted as a violation of individual privacy[/pullquote]Mr. Cameron answered that there are certain things that should not be brought out in the open due to the ramifications such data can have on national security. He defended intelligence and security agencies when asked about the stance they have against individuals or organizations that leak confidential federal information. Mr. Cameron maintained that the security agencies have helped prevent terrorist attacks and have also helped in catching culprits involved in such attacks.
Asked about the current situation of Indian students studying in the UK, Mr. Cameron said, “There is no restriction on the number of Indian students who may study at English universities. Barring certain requirements such as proficiency in English, there is no real restriction on the number of Indian students welcomed by universities in the UK.”
IIM Calcutta has a large number of students from European universities who are currently at IIM C on the Student Exchange program. A Belgian student asked what the UK can do in order to make their markets as competitive as the ones in Asia. Mr. Cameron replied, “I passionately believe that the European markets can be just as competitive as the Asian ones. Of course we cannot compete as low-wage economies but we do have our strengths such as innovation, a large number of patents and good universities.” He made an interesting remark on how the Time Zone in UK allows early morning trade with Asia and afternoon trade with the United States of America. He further added that, “This is not a zero-sum game. India’s win does not mean a loss for Britain.”
Asked about how he felt about being a young Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron quipped, “Well, time will take care of that!” He added, “Age alone does not matter. Age alone is not the key. And of course being the Prime Minister certainly makes me feel older!”
Finally, he was asked if India should be a part of the United Nations’ Security Council. He promptly replied that given the political scenario today, India is certainly a capable power and that he believes that India should be a part of the Security Council. He emphasized on the need to focus on positive will to change the world for the better rather than just political institutions. “What matters more than political institutions is political will. The UN succeeds when it takes a stand – when it has the will,” he concluded.
