The Higher Education Review

In the present scenario, B-Schools in India have to do considerable thinking and envisioning so that the products coming out are capable of meeting the job demands of a global marketplace, though the firms may operate only in some geographical regions. What lies ahead for management education is the challenging task of developing the competency level of students to meet corporate expectations. The corporations of the 21st century demand teaching skills that embed students in an environment where they acquire competence from one another and their collective experience.

To develop competent management & computer professionals for industry & business who are ethical and socially responsible citizens, NCRD's Sterling Institute of Management is eager to address the existing gaps in the B-School segment of India through meaningful partnerships with professional organizations, alumni, industries, and societies at large. Sterling Institute of Management envisions being a nationally and internationally accredited institution with a centre of excellence in the development of professional leaders for various sectors of business organizations and society.

Dedicated To The Cause Of Quality Education
Founded by eminent social worker Hon'ble Dilip Walse Patil, National Centre for Rural Development (NCRD) is a Registered Public Charitable Trust, established in 1991 with a vision to provide value-based quality education to rural area students. It was his vision and dream to empower and educate rural and tribal area students as well as provide them facilities for higher education. NCRD is dedicated to the cause of quality education starting from Primary Education right up to Professional Studies with its various institutes situated in Navi Mumbai and rural areas of the Pune district.

Emerging as a distinctive institution well-acknowledged amongst the other B-Schools of the country, NCRD's Sterling Institute of Management Studies stands apart from other institutions by the virtue of its Strategic Location and Excellent Infrastructure, Conducive Teaching & Learning Environment, Quality Teaching and Learning by Competent and Highly Experienced Faculty, Comprehensive Curricular, Co-Curricular & Extra-Curricular Activities, Well Equipped Learning

Resource Centre and Computer Centre with latest configuration machines, and so on. Apart from these, students are ensured with Cambridge Business English Certification (BEC), Professional Capability Development Program, Student Mentoring Comprehensive Development through Quality Education, as well as 100 percent Placement Assistance, enabling them to emerge as industry-ready professionals.

In most B-Schools, the course curriculum is largely theoretical and students are not aware of its applications and concepts adopted in the industry. As industry behaviour has changed drastically over the years, NCRD's Sterling Institute of Management Studies is trying to mould students into prolific professionals equipped with industry-specific skills.

“We conduct extracurricular activities to our students and held competitions so that they can judge themselves. Apart from guiding our students to write research papers, we arrange guest lectures for the students who try to shower all sorts of their experiences on our students. We also arrange for seminars where industry people come and discuss their daily work routine through which our students come to know how exactly daily life becomes.

Our overall grooming makes them stand out from the crowd. Comprehensive development of our students through quality education helps them bag better job opportunities within the country. To meet the industry hiring changes, we have incorporated some changes in campus placement recruitment preparation such as more emphasis on teaching virtual communication etiquettes, working more on the behavioural aspects of students, giving more time to improve their mental strength, and so on”, says Dr. Prashant Gundawar, Director, NCRD's Sterling Institute of Management Studies.

Sarvangin Vikas
NCRD's Sterling Institute of Management Studies has signed more than 25 MoUs with National/International institutions/Universities/Industries for Training, Institute Social Responsibility (ISR), Research, Placements, and Internships. NCRD's SIMS is committed to an education that enables Sarvangin Vikas, like, comprehensive development of students through a balance of five aspects viz. physical, practical, creative, moral, and intellectual.

Extra-curricular activities like sports, outdoor, and indoor games, gymnasium, cultural activities, communication skills development, yoga, and sessions on health and hygiene are being conducted for students on regular basis. The institute encourages students to participate in various sports and cultural activities at different levels.

These activities get the students ready for learning life lessons by sharpening their managerial and leadership skills which prepare them to work in a multi-cultural environment. Thus, the culture and climate of the institution enable students to be lifelong learners and innovators.

Striving to be unique and distinctive in its own ways by institutionalizing various distinctive programs during the curriculum by taking distinctive initiatives, NCRD's SIMS boasts of its distinctiveness through programs/activities such as Promotion of Higher Education among Rural Students. For Infrastructure and Learning Resources, the institute follows the norms prescribed by AICTE and is equipped with 10 ICT enabled Classrooms (including smart Classrooms), Tutorial Rooms, two Seminar Halls, two Computer Centres, three Computer Laboratories, Common Rooms, Faculty Room, Placement Office, Conference Room, Examination Control Room, IQAC, Administrative Office, Director’s Office, Canteen, and so on.

"NCRD's SIMS aims to develop Competent management Professionals for industry who are Ethical and socially responsible Citizens, through meaningful Partnerships with professional Organizations, alumni, industries, And society at large"

With proper ventilation and adequate lighting, all these spaces are well equipped with required facilities. With Institutional Distinctiveness such as leadership Development programs, Tie-ups with various NGOs, Career Guidance Program 'Vigilance Awareness Week' in association with Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Competitive events like food festival, SIMS envisions to be a nationally & internationally accredited institution with a centre of excellence in the development of professional leaders for various sectors of business organizations and society.

Dr. Prashant Gundawar, Director, NCRD's Sterling Institute of Management Studies
Currently, working as Director at the NCRD's Sterling Institute of Management Studies, Dr. Prashant holds more than two decades of Industry, Teaching, Research, and Training experience in the field of management and technical education. Under his guidance, NCRD’s Sterling Institute Management Studies has been awarded with B-School of Excellence award by GHRDCCSR all India Survey, consecutively in the year 2018 & 2019.

Dr. Prashant has been awarded with the Best Teacher Award by Lions Club, Pimpri Pune, India’s Most Innovative Education Leader award by World Education Congress, Excellence in Education Development award by Asia Africa Development Council, Mumbai.