The Big Bite
IHM Pusa’s innovations and the discipline it inculcates in students help them succeed in what is a demanding field
IT’S BEEN SEVEN YEARS SINCE I PASSED out of IHM Pusa, but the emotional connect with the institute is yet to fade. And I am not surprised. It’s run by an incredible team of professors and management professionals, which is why the institute is ranked the most prestigious hotel management college in the country. The syllabus it follows, the top notch grooming standards, the 100 percent placements every year, IHM Pusa has rightly retained its position over the years.
The best part of the institute is that it gives students space to grow as professionals, in terms of exposure to various national and international level competitions, cultural exchanges etc. I remember how we used to stand on the ever famous ‘hawa ma-
hal’ (the corridor that connects the two buildings of college) and gripe about the college’s tough discipline, how it would not compromise on anything, including exams, grooming, deadlines, even attendance. We realise now how important that discipline was for us to stand out as hospitality graduates. From famous chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor to Manjeet Singh Gill and many others, IHM Pusa and its credo has helped tens of thousands of students shape up their lives, transforming them from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Although the college infrastructure wasn’t great during our time, there was a constant buzz to the place due to active student-teacher involvement in all kinds of activities. From Friday fevers (weekly celebrations) to annual meets, IHM Pusa is always on its feet. The way the curriculum is intertwined with the daily schedule of the college is amazing. For instance, the mess kitchen was part of the second year cookery classes, where on our scheduled days we used to cook for the entire college. Likewise, the third year curriculum was enmeshed with the inhouse restaurant used by the staff.
As someone put it, it’s true that it’s like school but then it gets you ready for a workplace that needs high levels of discipline, where you have to perform and deliver every day.