Gateway

The GATEWAY
The official bulletin of BML Munjal University
Vol 4 Issue: Summer ’17

Inside Siemens Centre BMU's first Lotus Battle of
STORIES of Excellence Student Fest League the Bands

67th

MileStone

BMU’S 1ST ANNUAL FEST

FROM HERE TO THE WORLD

BML Munjal University seeks to nurtureVision
ethical leaders who are skilled,
knowledgeable and have the life skills
required for leading their organisations to
success.
The University shall seek the advancement
and dissemination of practically oriented
knowledge, benchmarked with the best
global standards.

BML Munjal University aims to be a leading
University for the quality and impact of its
teaching, research and linkages with major
stakeholders. The focus of the University is
to find creative solutions to problems
through application of knowledge.
The University aims to create a talented
community of students and faculty who
excel in teaching, learning and research, in
a creative and stimulating environment.
The University will collaborate with other
institutions for the development of science,
technology and arts in the global context.

02

Dear Reader,

I am delighted to share with you this edition of BML Munjal University’s bulletin, The Gateway.

The University was set up on the outskirts of Gurgaon, Haryana, in the memory of the Hero
Group’s Cofounder and Chairman, Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal. The aim was to build a
value-based institution, known for the quality and impact of its teaching and research, and its
ability to produce leaders of tomorrow.

The University has tried to make both the faculty member and the student active participants
in the education process. Through a mentorship with Imperial College, London, an experience
has been built around teaching-learning. The learning experience has been further augmented
through collaborations with Singapore Management University and Robert H. Smith School of
Business, University of Maryland (USA).

In a very short span of time, BML University has created an impact. In the 2016 placement
season, more than 100 corporates visited the campus, with each student being placed—an
unprecedented feat for an institution that opened just two years ago. Job and Practice School
offers were made by leading companies, including Siemens, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, KPMG,
Aditya Birla Group, Exide, IBM, ITC, Cargill, Carrier, Mother Dairy, Parle, Coca Cola, and others.

The University is modelled on the principle of practicality. It offers real world simulations,
industry exposure, and relevant job and entrepreneurship-related skills as an integral part of
the learning experience. The University has specialised programmes in areas such as Business
Analytics with IBM, Forensic Accounting and Corporate Fraud with KPMG and Banking with
Axis Bank. The University has also set up more than 10 labs with companies such as Siemens,
Shell and Intel, plus corporate tie ups with Axis Bank, IBM, KPMG, Siemens, Hero MotoCorp.
and Shell.

The University receives thought leadership from a world-class advisory board, comprising of
Adi Godrej, Prof Jagmohan Raju, Hari Bhartia, Kiran Majumdar Shaw, Anand Burman, M
Damodaran, R Mashelkar, Y C Deveswar, Dipak Jain, Arun Bharatram, Dr. Gerry George,
Dr. Pankaj Chandra and Harish Salve, among other eminent names.

The Gateway seeks to update you with the unique initiatives taking place at BMU.

I would also like to invite you all to visit the BMU Campus and meet our faculty and
students.

Best regards,

Sunil Kant Munjal
Chancellor,

BML Munjal University



ABOUT
BML MUNJAL UNIVERSITY

BML Munjal University (BMU), founded by ‘The Hero Group’ and mentored by Imperial College London, seeks to transform
higher education in India by creating a world-class and innovative teaching, learning and research environment. BMU is
approved by the University Grants Commission.
The Hero Group includes Hero MotoCorp - the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer. BMU’s academic mentor is Imperial
College London, the 109-year-old University that is ranked 9th in the QS World University Rankings (2016).
BMU's vision is to enable students to become ethical leaders and entrepreneurs. In line with this, the University emphasises
on interdisciplinary, experiential and immersive learning based on the 5i system which encompasses a journey from
Information, Inquiry, Inspiration, Implementation to Impact. The curriculum at BMU is focused on experiential learning, with up
to 45% of the contact hours (the highest in the world) spent on hands-on learning through projects, practicals, workshops,
labs, industry visits and Practice School.
BMU has a strong focus on research and is facilitating advanced R&D through on-campus, state-of-the-art research centres
and labs, and partnerships with leading R&D institutes such as Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Germany, CEERI, Pilani, CSIR-CSIO,
Chandigarh, CSIR-CBRI, Roorkee and NPL, Delhi.
BMU has been officially approved by the Department of Science and Industrial Research (DSIR) Govt of India for BMU’s
potential for conducting research.
The University believes in fostering the growth of industry-academic linkages and is currently collaborating with IBM, KPMG,
Axis Bank, Siemens and Hero MotoCorp to provide its students with a holistic learning experience that travels beyond the
classroom environment. BMU has also tied up with Singapore Management University and the Robert H. Smith School of
Business, University of Maryland, USA.
BMU currently offers B.Tech, B.Com (Hons), BBA, MBA, PhD and Executive programmes.

Hero MotoCorp. Building, BMU Campus

03

PRESIDENT’S Akshay Kant Munjal
President, BML Munjal University
MESSAGE

As I sit down to write this message for The Gateway, I am pleased with the
progress BML Munjal University (BMU) has made. It’s been slightly over
two years since we embarked on this journey to set up an institution
known for the quality and impact of its teaching and research, along with
an ability to produce leaders of tomorrow.

Set up in the memory of my grandfather, Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal, our
goal has been to further his vision of bringing about a change in the World
by empowering generations with high-quality education.

BMU was approved by Department of Science and Industrial Research
(DSIR) in February 2017. DSIR’s approval recognises the University’s
research infrastructure and potential for conducting world class research.
I admire all the efforts put in by the faculty and the administration for
achieving this milestone in this short time. BMU also received the
University Grants Commission recognition in February this year.

BMU is developing into a student-centric and research-focused university
– unique in India’s higher education landscape today. The Siemens
Centre of Excellence, Shell and Intel Laboratory are fully operational on
campus and the next in line, Texas Instruments Laboratory, will be
operational shortly as well. Along with Imperial College London, we have
collaborated with the Singapore Management University which is Asia’s
leading academic institutions.

Our vision of moulding minds, shaping careers and impacting society is
taking root. Currently there are 1300 students enrolled on campus in BBA,
BCom, BTech, MBA and PhD courses. We have also progressed in our
mission to provide qualitative education at subsidised rates;
approximately 40% of our students are currently on some form of
scholarship. The latest batch of students in Undergraduate programmes
had an average of 88% aggregate in class XII.

Students spend 45% of their time on projects, in labs, in industry visits
and/ or in supervised internships. Our PhD-qualified faculty is working with
students in research and in creating prototypes using cutting edge
equipment, such as 3D printers, CAD-CAM software, CNC’s and KUKA
robots, etc. – all available on campus.

I’m happy to see our students coming into their own – in terms of both
academic and extracurricular achievements. BMU continuously works to
maintain an environment conducive for academic excellence, research
and personal growth for students. We firmly believe that BMU and parents
are equal partners in the mission to ensure our students reap the best out
of their time at BMU. The most appropriate way to achieve this is through
a three-way partnership – between the University, parents and students.

My hope is that BMU enables new generations of leaders with a sense of
calling and the capability of shaping the future with justice and
compassion.

I wish the BMU community all the best!

04

NEWS

051st Prize: Hardik Minocha I Runners up: Shubham

Pathak, Jaidev Shah, Arzoo Jolly, Varun Raj

REDEFINING

ENGINEERING EDUCATION

SIEMENS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

BMU Students hard at work in Siemens Centre of Excellance on BMU Campus, Gurgaon
BMU and Siemens joined hands to open a Siemens Centre of Excellence at the BMU campus. The centre offers nine
labs in fields such as Design & Validation, Advanced Manufacturing (PLM/Digital Manufacturing), Robotics, Automa-
tion, Mechatronics, Process Instrumentation, Electrical & Energy Saving, CNC Controller Programming and Pneumat-
ics & Hydraulics.
The centre has been designed as a complete learning facility to build skills and equip students with expertise in the
engineering and manufacturing sectors. Siemens is the only company offering solutions that connects intelligent prod-
uct and production life cycles with the virtual tools used for product and production design, in order to enable physical
production.
BMU and Siemens are working to build world-class integrated skill development infrastructure. The centre has been
designed as a hub for developing and applying new methodologies and technologies in engineering education and
research.

06

At the inauguration, Mr. Suman Bose, Managing Director Siemens PLM Software India, said, "Siemens is committed to
empowering the next generation of digital talent. We are very happy to have nine state-of-the-art laboratories at the BML
Munjal University campus. Many industries today face an acute skill shortage problem; consequently, most companies
have to train their new recruits for almost 24 months before they become productive. Our learning modules should help
students develop specific skills which will be helpful in building a successful career in the manufacturing sector."

BMU and Siemens are working to build world-class
integrated skill development infrastructure. The centre has
been designed as a hub for developing and applying new

methodologies and technologies in engineering
education and research.

Mr. Akshay Munjal, President, BMU, also spoke at the inauguration. "The Centre of Excellence has been set up at the
University to help make students industry-ready for diverse consumer needs in individual markets. Our relationship with
Siemens will not only help lead the students to a brighter future but it will help our faculty learn new skills as well."
With its focus on research, the BML Munjal University has collaborated in the areas of teaching, research and student
programmes with four national labs as well as with Fraunhofer of Germany – Europe’s largest applied research organi-
sation. The University's association with reputed corporations such as IBM, KPMG, Axis Bank and Hero MotoCorp
makes it possible for students to gain a practical insight into industry.

07

DISCOVERING

HEROES OF TOMORROW

BMU HOSTS INNOVATION CONTEST FINALE

“Celebrating the power of ideas and
the change they can bring.”

With the aim to encourage students to think creatively, BMU launched an online innovation contest titled “Heroes of
Tomorrow”. The contest was open to students across streams in class XI and XII and saw participation from all over India.
The finale was hosted by BMU on January 24, 2017.
Students applied their theoretical knowledge and created connections across disciplines and subjects. Students
analysed problems and came up with out-of-the-box and executable solutions for them.
Hardik Minocha, a Class XII student from Ryan International School, New Delhi, won the contest. His idea was ‘The
Mechanical Defibrillator’ – a step towards saving lives of people who can’t afford to buy current existing defibrillators –
which are extremely expensive and require electricity to function. Hardik received an iPhone and seed money to start
building this idea into a workable product. The runners-up in the contest were awarded various innovative gadgets.
Launched in October 2016, the contest invited school students to share ideas based on the theme “One idea which
could change the future”. The team from BMU visited more than 200 schools and held workshops on Joy of Innovation,
discussing the importance of innovative thinking. Innovation is the key driver for growth in the economy and according
to the research done by PwC India, could potentially increase Indian GDP by 9% per annum.

Theoretical learning is good but of no use if it canʼt be used practically.

With close to 2000 entries from all over India, every week, the winner with the most innovative idea received Virtual Reality
(VR) glasses. 25% of the entries received were shortlisted for Round 2 of the contest. The two-phase format selected the
most promising ideas received and invited the participants behind those ideas to flesh them out in more detail. Interest-
ingly, a significant proportion of the entries were received from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India.
The innovation contest was an effort to lead the conversation on innovation and how it can be applied to bring about the
desired change in the world. It provided participants with a platform to seek inspiration in innovation and apply their
classroom learnings to come up with ideas.
The idea entries received covered different areas such as education, healthcare, urban planning, agriculture and
technology.

08

INNOVATION IN

LEADERSHIP

“TODAY YOU LEAD THE SCHOOL.
TOMORROW YOUR STUDENTS WILL LEAD THE SCHOOL.”

BMU is consciously working to transform the higher education
experience in India. The team believes that principals and school
leaders drive the talent pool to continuously set higher standards
in the education community.

As someone involved in shaping the future of young boys and
girls in our country, BMU feels it’s critical for principals and teach-
ers to lead, inspire and encourage the teacher community as well
to develop certain traits in the students. With this purpose in mind,
BMU launched a series of conferences for school leaders,
promoters and directors on Innovation in Leadership.

BMU Chancellor Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal at the Principal's Meet Our Chancellor, Dr. S.K. Munjal, said, “Teachers are the goldmine
held in Chandigarh, Nov. 20, 2016 of knowledge, and the societal backbone. Teachers have the
opportunity to create the India of the future. The fad of laying
excessive stress on marks and grades should be shunned and
children must have the right to choose if we want to build a sturdy
society.”

The Innovations in Leadership conferences were successfully conducted in Dehradun, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana
and Jaipur.

The Jaipur chapter was organised in collaboration with Quality Education Asia. QEA is a team of committed profession-
als whose aim is to help educators and learners from around the globe in giving and achieving the best in education.

Swati Munjal, Director, Admissions and Strategic Initiatives, BMU, said “We have chosen this year’s theme as ‘Innovation
in Leadership – Teacher’s Motivation’ as the series is dedicated to teachers who mould young minds in classrooms.

“2016 marks the third year of student admissions at BML Munjal University. With the increasing number of students
interviewed every year, from all parts of the country, we observed that there are certain skills that most graduating
Class XII students lack. Skills such as written communication, logical thinking, analytical thinking, and entrepreneurship,
are necessary to succeed in today’s world. At BMU, we are looking for ways to partner with schools to help create global
citizens of tomorrow. We aim to help schools with training and facilities to enhance students’ skill sets. As educators, we
can all work together to build a world-class education system for today’s young generation.”

The conferences saw a good mix of school directors, principals and teachers. Everyone agreed that schools in India
need to improve their human resource policies in favour of teachers, provide better training and introduce innovative
strategies to make schools a happier place for teachers.

“As leaders of educational institutions, principals need to Pradeep Singh,
ask themselves if they are doing enough to help students CEO, Indian School of Business,
and teachers achieve their potential. A true leader is a
keeper of the vision and it is his or her responsibility to Mohali
reiterate that vision to his or her colleagues.”

09

HERO
FOREVER DAY

UNSTOPPABLE!

“Shri Brij Mohan Lall Munjalji was ahead of his
time. Every time!”

BMU celebrated the inaugural Hero Forever Day, organised in the memory of Late Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal, co-founder
and chairman of the Hero Group, on November 16, 2016. Mr. Rakesh Vasisht was the chief guest at the event and shared
his experiences on working closely with the late chairman.

Dr. Munjal had a unique approach in life – following the heart. According to Mr. Vasisht, everyone, who knew the
co-founder chairman, praises his qualities of head and heart. When Mr. Vasisht joined the company, it was already one
of the largest 2-wheeler companies. Even at that time, Dr. Munjal’s humility was all-encompassing.

Dr. Munjal had an “Open-Door Policy”. Any employee could walk into his room and talk to him. He came into work every
single day despite not needing to do so any more at that age. An ethic like this motivated the staff.

Dr. BML Munjal possessed an uncanny ability to zero in on the right technology, giving Hero’s products a winning edge
over its rivals. He wasn’t an engineer, but almost instinctively, he decided to go with the four-stroke engine technology at
a time when two-stroke technology was the norm and the rest is history. “The heart needs to be on board with all that we
undertake.” That was his motto.

A glorious tribute to his ability of carrying his team with him is the fact that at the Hero facilities, there has never been any
stoppage of work. Also, Hero factories boast of one of the highest labour productivity rates in the world. An enlightened
labour policy and a keen sense of fair play have contributed to the tremendous sense of dedication and commitment on
the part of everyone associated with the Hero Group.

“Lakshya!” Dr. BML Munjal pushed everyone to have a clear vision for the future. According to him, as a leader it was
most important to build a desire and vision in the team. This not only led to a flourishing Hero Group, but led to so many
around him becoming successful entrepreneurs.

“Dr. BML Munjal was known for simple living, high thinking

and most of all his complete humility. His employees speak

highly of his ʻopen-door policyʼ. They could go into his office

any time without appointment!” Mr. Rakesh Vasisht lighting the lamp at
Hero Forever Day, Nov. 16, 2016

10

RESEARCH

16 11

CUTTING EDGE

RESEARCH

Innovative ideas lead to new discoveries in the fields of science, medicine and technology. A balanced research
agenda and an applied futuristic orientation can create breakthroughs in areas where maximum impact is needed. The
faculty are conducting research in areas such as Femtosecond laser pulses and additive manufacturing methods,
which have printing, manufacturing and industrial applications. The aim of such research is to create a positive impact
on society through constructive scientific enquiry.

We are proud to announce that we have officially been
approved by the Department of Science and Industrial

Research (DSIR) of the Government of India for
BMUʼs potential for conducting research.

BMU is focused on transforming higher education in India by creating a world-class teaching and learning environment,
especially focusing on industry-oriented applied research. It’s our endeavour to facilitate Indian industries to become
global leaders in their respective fields. We are proud to announce that we have officially been approved by the
Department of Science and Industrial Research (DSIR) of the Government of India for BMU’s potential for conducting
research. DSIR has has officially recognised BMU’s research infrastructure and research capability. It is extremely rare
for a university to achieve such status within two and a half years of existence and this is a proud moment for everyone
associated with the University.

12

MAKE IN INDIA AT BMU

The School of Engineering and Technology organised a workshop on the 20th of January on ‘Innovations, Sustainable
Manufacturing and Operations Management for Make in India.’ Dignitaries from industry and leading educational
institutions spoke about supply chain management, operation management, and the need for innovation. The sessions
at the workshop were:

Strategic Challenges Innovations and Sustainability Production and
and Management Make in India - and Supply Chain Planning Challenges
Approaches for Fresh Management: for Effectiveness:
Food and Vegetables Dr. Arvind Kumar
Sector Supply Chain Gupta, President & Prof. Kannan A Systems Approach
in Indian Context: Group COO - Govindan, Professor for an Indian OEM:
Rockman Industries and Centre Head, Mr. Lalit Upadhyay,
Mr. M.L. Arora, CEO - Centre for Engineering Manager PPC -
Fresh & Healthy Enter- Operations Manage- Federal Mogul, India
prises Limited (a ment, Department of
subsidiary of the Technology and
Container Corporation Innovation, University
of India) of Southern Denmark.

ILAFM 2016 CONFERENCE:

The second conference on large area and flexible electronics was held at RVCE, Bangalore. Vice Chancellor, BMU,
Prof. BS Satyanarayana spoke about the challenges, issues, and road ahead for flexible electronics. BMU faculty
members also presented research papers at the conference.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AT ASTON UNIVERSITY

Prof. Satyanarayana was invited to talk about the ‘Joy of Engineering’ and BMU’s 5i principles at a three day
international conference at Aston University. In a panel alongside Olin University and University College London,
Prof. Satyanarayana spoke about BMU’s innovative approach to engineering education, specifically focusing on BMU’s
industry tie-ups. The conference was attended by participants from Europe, US, Asia, and Africa.

13

LEADERSHIP

TEDx

AT BMU CAMPUS

‘BRIDGING THE GAP’

Ms. Shaili Chopra, Founder of SheThePeople, giving a talk at TEDx at BMU Campus, Gurgaon, Feb. 11, 2017
Where else could you hear an award-winning business journalist together with an Ad mogul, a FinTech leader, and a
cutting edge PLM leader other than a TEDx conference! And BMU had the exact opportunity on the 11th of this
February at the first edition of TEDxBMU, organized in its entirety by the students of the university.
The whole university was a bundle of nerves as the speakers got out of their cars one by one and headed to the
conference. The organizers, most not any older than 20, ushered them to the auditorium while many of us tried to hold
our giggles, and obvious excitement. The organizers and the teams had worked night and day to make the conference
happen, and what at times seemed like an insurmountable task, turned out to be a roaring success . The theme of the
event was “Bridging the Gaps”, and the aim was to connect dots which are commonly not associated with each other.
The event hosted several distinguished people from all walks of life, and from all over the country. It hosted Mr. Rajesh
Dhuddu (SVP, Quattro) and Dr. Chandan Chowdhury (VP, Global Affairs, Dassault Systemes), who spoke about the
future of cashless payments and virtual augmentation respectively. Ms. Shaili Chopra (Founder, SheThePeople) talked
about the importance of communication in Business, while Dr. BS Satyanarayana (VC, BMU) spoke about the overly
speculated future of Silicon. Mr. Rajeev Karwal (Founder, Milagrow Solutions) put everyone’s imagination to work with
his theory of humanoid robots and what it would take for us to get anywhere near to making them a reality.

15

16

On the other side of the spectrum, Mr. KV Sridhar (Founder, Hyper Collective) talked about the ‘ Psychology of creativity’
with some absolutely stunning illustrations, followed by Mr. Shankar Srinivasan (Co-Founder, Inclov) who won every-
one’s heart with his own story of how he came around to creating the first matchmaking App for the differently-abled,
which helps them look for acceptance and love. Mr. Anupam Raghuvanshi (Director, T.I.M.E, UP) discussed how
children succumb to peer and parental pressures, and confuse ‘Becoming with Being’.

One of the major highlights of the conference was the talk from BMU’s own Shreyas Bharadwaj, the student speaker
for the event. Mr. Bharadwaj spoke about the Indian urban transportation, from the perspective of Bruce Yandle i.e. the
theory of Bootleggers and Baptists. In the process, he recounted his weekly visits to Delhi, caused by his acute
cravings for satisfying South Indian food in the heart of North India.

During the lunch, students from in-house bands ‘The Petals’ and ‘The SoulForge’ played ethereal music for attendees,
who relished the lunch and the vibes. The emcees made sure that they made the audience roll with laughter, making
masala dosas explode and fireballing helicopters with Jai Shree Rams in an intense mad-libbing session. They
disguised themselves as struggling authors, whose last book bombed big time because it was called 'Why Navjot
Singh Siddhu is the finest philosopher of the 21st century'. The event ended with Mr. KV Sridhar promising to publish
the struggling authors’ newest endeavour.

As the guests made their way to high tea, a glow of satisfaction could be seen on the faces of the TEDxBMU team.

Clearly, all their hard work and sleepless nights had paid off with the event having struck a chord with the attendees who

appeared to be enjoying themselves hugely. When it came to snapshot time with the speakers, all their tiredness just

fell off and smiles came on along with poses. By Bala Vishal

BTech, 3rd Year, BML Munjal University

KV SRIDHAR AKA POPS SHAILI CHOPRA

FOUNDER, HYPER COLLECTIVE FOUNDER, SHETHEPEOPLE

RAJESH DHUDDU SHANKAR SRINIVASAN
CO-FOUNDER, INCLOV
SVP, QUATRRO GLOBAL SERVICES

DR. CHANDAN CHOWDHURY SHREYAS BHARADWAJ

VP, GLOBAL AFFAIRS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, STUDENT SPEAKER
DASSAULT SYSTEMES

RAJEEV KARWAL ANUPAM RAGHUVANSHI
DIRECTOR, T.I.M.E.
FOUNDER DIRECTOR, MILAGROW

17

PEEK INTO

MBA WAY OF LIFE

BMU hosted 44 students from 9 cities to have them experience a day in an MBA programme on December 14, 2016 at
the BMU Campus in Gurgaon. Though the MBA is one of the highly pursued degrees in higher education today,
students have limited awareness of what a quality MBA programme is about and how they can utilize their time at a
business school in the most effective manner.
In order to address this concern, BMU, initiated a unique MBA Immersion Programme to provide MBA aspirants a
first-hand experience of ‘A day in the life of an MBA student’. The MBA Immersion allows MBA aspirants to experience
a unique pedagogy, gain an overview of what management education is about, and interact with entrepreneurs and
business leaders. More than 44 student from across 9 cities attended the event packed with sessions, case-study
discussions, simulations, collaborative peer-to-peer learning, interactive sessions with business leaders, and a visit to
a state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.
Speaking about the initiative, the President, BMU, Akshay Munjal said, “An alarmingly high number of students, even
though having been preparing for over two years for the various entrance exams, possess limited awareness of what a
quality MBA program is about and how they can utilise their time at management school in the most effective manner.
The MBA Immersion at BMU is an attempt to expose students to the relevance of an MBA degree in building a

18

meaningful professional career in the present-day context, the importance of selecting the right college, program and
specialisation, and making the most of their exposure at a B-School.”

Students from Alwar, Delhi-NCR, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Varanasi, among other cities, stayed at the campus for
two days.

The entire Immersion experience at the BMU Campus was designed and delivered by the faculty, experts and extended
network of eminent business leaders and entrepreneurs. The sessions included:

Problem Solving by Foresight:
Design Thinking Panel discussion with

entrepreneurs and
business leaders

Taking Ideas Building the Visit to the
to Market Pyramid Hero MotoCorp
manufacturing unit

19

RECREATIONAL

ACTIVITES

Nitin Malik

20 Lead Vocals, Parikrama

BMU's sports team enters the tournament holding the college flag, Sept. 24, 2016

BMU campus and sports field played host to the first leg and launch of the inter-university sports event – “Lotus
League” – on September 24, 2016.

Four institutions – Ashoka University, BML Munjal University, O. P. Jindal Global University and Shiv Nadar University –
have come together in a bond of friendship and sporting competition under the umbrella of the “Lotus League”. The
founding members of the “Lotus League” have together forged this concept and launched it with great excitement and
expectations that over the years the “Lotus League” would establish itself as a symbol of excellence and outstanding
achievement. The philosophy of the “Lotus League” is captured in the logo itself –

“The lotus flower symbolises the purification of the body and mind, and the full blossoming of wholesome deeds in
blissful liberation. It teaches us that where we reach is important not where we come from.”

For the League’s launch, BMU hosted a contingent from O.P. Jindal Global University, comprising teams of football,
basketball and table tennis players.

Teams from both the universities exhibited great sportsmanship and put spirited effort into their matches. O.P. Jindal
University’s basketball teams – both boys and girls – won.

Table Tennis saw a closely fought match, with BMU giving way to the visiting team only at the very end.

The football game ended in a draw and the BMU team received immense appreciation for this achievement considering
they were pitted against a more experienced side.

21

“We are all different, which is great because we are all
unique. Without diversity life would be very boring,”
said Catherine Pulsifer.

At BMU, we view diversity as the blending of different
backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives within a
team. And in a place with so many differences, we
need to look at similarities, to find something common
we all as members of a larger community share. And
at BMU, that was playing in our minds when we decid-
ed to organise the 67th Milestone.

67th Milestone, a multi-faceted event, hosted a broad
spectrum of activities with a mix of conventional and
unconventional competitions and shows – something
for everyone. Spanning four days, it offered a platform
for artists to perform, techies to scratch their head,
speed enthusiasts to get behind the wheel and fashion
freaks to walk the ramp.

As part of the team that helped put the Fest together, I
am writing this to talk about all sorts of things related to
the 67th Milestone. Needless to point out that we all
are elated for having pulled this event off and com-
pletely relieved that it went off decently.

For many of us, the compassion to help others and to
make the world a better place has driven us to take a
step further, in all we do. With a team of members with
varied interests and diverse experiences, the task of
doing so became a lot more complex and even more
interesting and meaningful.

Combining each one’s experience to create some-
thing innovative, the 67th Milestone was aimed at
bringing together a mix of various individuals who
share a desire for a better and more value-oriented
society. Each event was themed to highlight a social
cause. We all have been debating the ‘disconnect’ that
everyone feels in this age of super connectivity. The
event was a platform to raise awareness about this
‘disconnect’ and other important social causes. In this
Fest, there was an event conceptualized especially to
address the disconnect, the differences and spread
some joy with music.

Battle of the Bands 2016 was the inaugural event and
utilised this platform to celebrate and acknowledge the
diversity of music. The Battle showcased the talent of
12 shortlisted bands from all over the nation to exhibit
the power of music.

Music is therapy. Music moves people. It connects
people in ways that no other medium can. It pulls at

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BATTLE OF BANDS

EXHIBITING POWER OF MUSIC

heart strings. It acts as a medicine. With the mission to promote the multifariousness of music in India and to use music
as a tool to make a difference, the genres varied from classical rock to death metal, giving it an essence of something
that everyone could connect to.
After successfully uniting a large audience with music, we moved on to a study of the arts that provides children with
an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be compassionate towards the people of these cultures.
This development of compassion and empathy, as opposed to development of greed and a “me first” attitude,
provides a bridge across cultural chasms that leads to respect of humanity at an early age. Music plays an influential
role in the lives of each person. And putting together all this, it becomes easy to work on a project that may not seem
relatable initially, but once that connection is established, there is nothing that can sever that connect.
With this in mind, we associated with Music Basti. Music Basti connects underprivileged children with musicians,
aiming to nurture confidence through a creative and joyful music-learning experience. These children live either in slum
accommodation or in residential homes that give them shelter from a life out on the street. None of them have access
to quality education, arts or music training.
Through a mixture of musical training, songwriting and performing, Music Basti fosters the life-skills, vital to a
well-rounded child development, such as confidence, creativity and leadership. Crucially, these skills enable our young
musicians to engage productively with a rapidly growing and increasingly complex world. And this is exactly what is
captured in the essence of 67th Milestone: To build a platform of varied cultures and arts to form a symbiotic relation-
ships within society to bridge the gap and work toward a common existence, a global conscience.
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. One must always keep in mind, that the strength, the patience, and the
passion to reach for the stars to change the world lies within all of us. Battle of the Bands was the first spark that ignited
the youth in thousands, where we were able to reach out to forge a connect between the most different of people.
With each event that we plan to execute, we aim to grow, learn and move forward as a community; embarking on a
journey, creating ourselves, inspiring others, and driving society towards self-betterment. At The 67th Milestone, we are
preparing for a long journey, putting forward all our talents and skills, to go the extra mile, and make a difference.

By Andrew Solomon
BTech, 3rd Year, BML Munjal University

23

67TH MILESTONE

BMU’S FIRST TECHNO-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT FEST

67th Milestone! The 4-day festival hosted by BML Munjal University from March 1-4, 2017, not only let the BMU commu-
nity discover their skills and potential, but also created a lot of memories that everyone is going to cherish. It was a fest
for the students and organised by the students. 67th Milestone ’17 had something on offer for every artist who
performed, for techies to scratch their heads, speed enthusiasts to get behind the wheel and fashion freaks to walk the
ramp. It had events ranging from Hackathon, Fashion Show and BMU Pitchers among many others.
The students at BML Munjal University worked together night and day to mark the presence of the 67th Milestone a
significant one on the Delhi Jaipur highway. With just two months of collaborative work and effort put into this multi-fac-
eted techno-cultural management fest, 67th Milestone gave both participants and audience an experience worth
remembering. From the very beginning of the fest with an enthusiastic declaration of the ‘shuruaat’ of the fest, all events
were full of nothing but exhilarating fun and joy. There were soul-engaging performances at Theatre Phantamonica that
immersed the audience in stage and street performances that included a variety of awe-worthy acts. The performances
challenged reality and other facets of life with experimental theatre and stage art.
Moving on from the mesmerising experiences that were expressed through the drama, the audience were brought to
reality by the Fashion Crave, that quite literally stole the audiences’ hearts via their eyes as it was themed around advo-
cating social causes. Talking about social causes, the can-do philosophy wasn't just left up to the performers on stage
but appealed to the much larger audience.

24

‘Women’s Got Talent’, a talent show hosted by Udaan, the women empowerment society at BMU, had ladies compete
on the grounds of creativity and translate it all into performances in singing, dancing, prose, mono-acts and poetry, etc.
Also showcased were hand-crafted goodies made by ladies who work at the NGO Asha at Raman Munjal School,
providing vocational training to village girls. The students also witnessed a jaw-dropping show of ‘Aerial Drones’ which
was the first edition of a student-level drone competition initiated by the Robotics Club where different universities
participated to show off their ‘piloting’ skills. Speaking of machines, ‘Robotus Krieg’ was a savage event where teams
built robots to wrestle with other teams’ bots and brought out a ‘Real Steel’ Hollywood feel, with a death match where
the last one standing won. ‘Nitro Surge’ was another fun event that was cheered at with same enthusiasm as a real rally
race would get. With the mini track built on campus, the drivers showcased their ‘moves’ as they competed for the
finish line. From small cars, to big cars, ‘Ecokart’ was another flagship event that used the entire campus as a circuit
where teams from across the nation came to participate and showcase their automotive skills.

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The meaning of work and empowerment has evolved in today’s day and age. With campaigns such as Make In India,
the progress of the nation has developed a remarkable renaissance. At 67th Milestone, the students were not far
behind in showcasing their entrepreneurial ideas at BMU Pitchers, which provided a platform for young ideating minds
to pitch their concepts to investors to gain funds as well as mentoring. The students also had a lot to learn from the
MyTalk series where established entrepreneurs shared their experiences and their journey. Speakers included the likes
of Nilay Arun, CEO, Alaavo Ventures and Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor, Co-Founder, Ketto.

Another inspiring and enthralling event was कोऽहम् (Koham) i.e Who am I? In this unusual and intriguing session,
various esteemed
speakers such as Dr. Anirban Ganguly, Mr. Rajesh Dhuddu and several others shared their life philosophy and thoughts
and answered student questions in remarkably diverse ways.

26

The nights at the fest, too, were full of joy and colour with various pro nights including performances by pro artists like
USAI, Vanmoon and Parikrama. Students enjoyed to the beats as spikes of adrenalines and joy floated in the air. The
4-day fest left the audience overwhelmed and it’s safe to say that 67th Milestone is now a living milestone that has
made its way into the hearts of all who attended and left them asking for more. The closing ceremony saw many with
tears in their eyes, making the last event completely apt -- Laughter Toll Plaza featuring three stand-up comedians
Nishant Suri, Jaspreet Singh and Nitin Mandal who had the crowd in splits. A befitting end until we return.

27

@BMU

MOMENTS OF GLORY

Convergence India Silver Medal at Manipal University
On the 9th of February students from the Electronic & Communication Representing BMU at the Abhivarta Sports Meet, held at Manipal
Engineering department attended the 25th Convergence India an University on the 20th February, K Sharath won the Silver Medal in the
International Exhibition and Conference. The students were exposed to individual Badminton event. Winning 5 consecutive matches, he lost the
the latest trends and technologies related to telecom, broadcast, final match by a very small margin.
satellite TV, cloud & big data, IoT, Digital Home's, film and radio.

Sixth Sense Workshop in association with IIT Delhi Parliamentary Debate
The Sixth Sense Robotics Workshop organised by the Robotics club in The Literary and Debating Society (LiQuid) Organised a parliamentary
association with Tryst - IIT Delhi on the 4th & 5th of February, covered style debate on the 8th of February 2017. The topic for the debate was
topics related to Microcontrollers & Robotics and Image Processing. “Are standardised tests an enemy of education ?” A large number of
With an opportunity for teams to participate at Tryst IIT Delhi, this was an students participated and expressed their opinions.
introductory workshop which familiarised the students with the basics of
Arduino.

DSIR recognition for BMU Retreat to Ariisse Farms
The University has been granted status as a scientific and industrial The University organised two retreats on the 10th and 22nd of February
organisation with DSIR - The Department of Scientific and Industrial for the MBA batch of 2015 - 17 and 2016 - 2018 respectively. With a
Research. This enables the University to apply for government research number of team-building exercises and workshops
grants and function as an autonomous research institution. the retreat was organised to help students to understand corporate
culture better.

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STUDENT

LIFE

29

STUDENTS SPEAK

BMU & ME

Before starting my BTech at BMU, the thought of begin-
ning life at college in a completely new environment had
always made me very apprehensive. I started with mixed
emotions of excitement and anxiety.

While meeting new people was very exciting, I was
worried whether my choice of college was correct or not.
However, I remember what my mother said to me to
allay my fears. She said, “You are the one who decides
what you make of a place”. I did not understand the
meaning of this statement back then, but now as I look
back at my three years at BMU, it makes perfect sense
to me.

My three years at BMU have been a transformational
journey. The opportunities that BMU has provided me
with have been often too many to keep up with and I
constantly feel like I’m letting some go unused. But all
my experiences have played a pivotal role in defining the
kind of individual I am today.

It is true that the life lessons I have learnt at college so
far, aren’t learnt in classrooms but through college expe-
riences. I have learnt how to face challenges with grit. All
the experiences have forced me to become independ-
ent. The diversity on the BMU campus has also
improved my social skills, teaching me how to work
efficiently in a diverse team and get along with people
from all walks of life. Every day at BMU, I learn a new
lesson that helps me evolve as a person.

As a member of the Founder batch, I was provided with
a platform to harness my leadership potential from the
very beginning of my life at BMU.

What makes BMU so special is that it is a student-run
community. Be it hostel life or sports, students are
involved in all aspects of college life and play an integral
role in decision making. It is a privilege for me to be a
part of an Institution where emphasis is laid on speaking
up and advocating your ideas.

My journey at BMU has been a memorable one and I am
grateful to it for giving me memories I will cherish for life.

Twinkle Arora
BTech, 3rd Year (First Batch on BMU Campus)

30

SATTUBMDUENT LIFE

The Gateway team: Special thanks to the BMU Photography
Charu Joneja, Pranav Rastogi and Shree Shyam Singh.
and Videography Club for their images.31

FROM HERE TO THE WORLD

The BMU logo embodies the truth that all people, no matter how
different, share a common root. The tree is a symbol of the
endurance of knowledge and enlightenment. The kaleidoscope
of colourful circles that make up its branches represent the many
disciplines of knowledge and shades of opinion that freely
overlap to create new thoughts and ideas. We endeavour to have
every BMU student imbibe an acknowledgement of the essential
humanity of mankind and respect for the diversity of cultures &
opinions, as they go forward to take their place in the real world.

Campus:
67th KM, NH-8, Dist. Gurgaon - 122413, Haryana, India

Email: [email protected] I Website: www.bml.edu.in