Grade expectations

An insider’s account of the highly competitive nature in IIM-A, and a dig at those who put grades above everything

When a student requested a re-quiz, having missed the original on account of the death of his father, a professor at IIM-A responded, “I don’t do re-quizzes; your father chose to die on the wrong day.” Extracts like this peppered in Narendran’s book, Amongst Monkeys, gives you an insider’s account of the highly competitive nature in one of India’s premier institutions. The title Amongst Monkeys may not only be a reference to the actual monkeys that live on the campus at IIM-Ahmedabad but also a dig at the campus people who put grades above everything.

The book deals with the personal journey of Randy, as Narendran was called in IIM-A, who forsakes a comfortable secure life in the public sector, BHEL, to chase his ‘MBA dreams’. Despite being called a ‘livewire’ for his leadership and problem-solving skills at BHEL, Randy feels like a fish out of water in his new campus and is faced with a barrage of quizzes and group discussions on a daily basis.

“I considered myself a natural leader and I felt IIM-A could help me progress my career and enhance my skills for the corporate world but after a point I realised IIM-A wasn’t about leadership but mad competition about getting grades. The system was grade-centric and the rat race was dousing the dreams of many students including me,” says Narendran.

Despite using academic situations to give the readers an idea of the atmosphere, Narendran uses wit to good effect to keep the reader engaged and carries the story forward comfortably.

The author also narrates a parallel story of unrequited first love from his past and and his many crushes in college. Like any college story, Randy’s life has its share of ragging, chasing girls, pranks, pompous professors and more.

Narendran says most of his batchmates found the book honest. A few were a bit apprehensive over his take on the functioning of the institution but respected his perspective.

“IIM-A was unlike anything I had seen. If you were competitive and ready to fight the rat race at the very deep end then IIM was the place for you. I even encountered a professor who broke down because one of his students hadn’t prepared for a class.”

Narendran mentions in the book that he took an AC room near the college and watched TV for a whole day just to take a break from the college atmosphere. It was a personal crisis that spurred him to write the book. He was working for a corporate firm in Mumbai when health issues forced him to take time off. He had to fight back in life as much as he had fought back in IIM-A.

“I got reminiscing about my time there and felt it was a story that needed to be told. A lot of people really don’t know what they’re getting into when they aim for IIM-A. The environment can be ruthless. I had seen a couple of my batchmates leave in the first week itself and I myself contemplated quitting,” he says.

Narendran says he enjoyed the process of writing and is eager to get cracking on his next book but insists he’ll stick to non-fiction and delve further into human emotions for his next one.