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Campus Watch
Eastern gem
Started as a Food Craft Institute, IHM Gangtok is today ranked
high among the other IHMs in the country. Students from not only the north-east
but also from the neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan enroll in the institute for
specialised hospitality education and training. By Joy Roy Choudhury
Set amidst lush green surroundings in the hilly state of Sikkim, the Institute
of Hotel Management, Gangtok is today ranked highly among the IHMs in the country.
From its humble beginning as a Food Craft Institute in 1969 offering short-term
courses, it was upgraded to a full-fledged hotel management institute in 1983
by offering a three-year degree programme in Hotel & Hospitality Administration.
It started off in a rented building with 30 students each for front office,
F&B service and housekeeping. Over time, Sikkim's tourism department provided
a new building in Gangtok that was first named Yatri Niwas and later renamed
Hotel Mt Jopuno. The building served as a teaching institute and at the same
time imparted practical in-house training to its students in hotel operation.
With time and progress, the institute was conferred national recognition and
affiliation by National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology
(NCHMCT) under the Union Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in 1999. The
Sikkim government's tourism department has played a significant role in this
regard. The institute started offering a three-year diploma programme in Hotel
Management in 2000.
The three-year diploma in Hotel Management was later upgraded to three-year
B.Sc degree course in Hospitality & Hotel Administration affiliated to NCHMCT
and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) following persistent efforts
by the institute.
The institute is governed by board of governors comprising chief secretary,
Government of Sikkim as chairperson, finance secretary to Government of Sikkim
as member and current administrator serving as both the administrator of the
institute as well as member secretary of the board apart from the members of
the National Council, New Delhi and Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
- 3-year B.Sc degree in Hospitality &
Hotel Administration for Class-XII pass-outs
- One and half year diploma course in food
production, F&B Service for Class-XII pass-outs
- Craftsmanship courses for one and half
years in F&B Service for Class-X pass-outs
- 1-Year craftsmanship course in food production
for Class-X pass-outs
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Currently, the institute is lodged in a six-storied rented building which
includes three training kitchens for students of respective years, a training
restaurant, pantry, front office laboratory, housekeeping laboratory, six classrooms,
a cafeteria along with staff rooms, a well-stocked library and a computer room.
The institute soon plans to shift to its new campus at Rumtek, east Sikkim that
will provide advanced equipment and facilities to students.
Students have been reportedly securing top positions in the all-India list prepared
by NCHMCT. IHM, Gangtok recently added another feather in its cap when it secured
ninth position (fifth in terms of placement) in the survey conducted by 'Competition
Success Review' featuring all the IHMs and other reputed hotel management institutes
in the country.
Students also get a chance to participate in various state and national level
competitions like chef and carving competitions. The institute has been helping
them in successfully getting placements in reputed hotels in the country and
abroad. Due to the rapid growth of the hospitality industry in India, there
is an increasing demand for trained and competent hospitality professionals
in the country.
J T Gyaltshen, who took over as
the institute's administrator in 2006, speaks about the present state
of hospitality education in the hilly state.
By Joy Roy Choudhury
How comprehensive is hospitality education today?
Hospitality refers to the relationship process
between a guest and a host. It also refers to the act of being hospitable,
that is, the reception and entertainment of guests and visitors with liberality
and goodwill.
Hospitality education creates an environment where
students learn how to tackle difficult, complex problems by probing, discussing
and working together towards a common goal. Students learn what it feels
like to exercise judgment, make decisions and take responsibility. In
doing so, they sharpen their skills of effective communication and are
able to persuade, synthesise and adapt. The pass-outs from the institute
are well-groomed managers.
What is the USP of your institute?
The institute is located in Sikkim, which is frequented
by travellers from all over the world thereby exposing the students to
the habits, preferences and nuances of different cultures. The faculty
is the best available in the industry and the facilities for the students
are of international standards.
What opportunities are available to hospitality
students today?
The growth and development of the tourism industry
globally has opened up countless openings for hospitality graduates. They
can look forward at career opportunities like:
- Management trainee in hotels and allied
industry
- Guest/customer relation executive in hotels
and other service sectors
- Kitchen management/housekeeping management
trainee in hotels
- Flight kitchen also offers opportunities
for career building
- Multi-skilled executive in fast food chains
- Hospital and institutional catering executives
- Faculty in hotel management/food craft
institutes (after getting industry exposure)
- Cabin crew in national and international
airlines
- Catering officers or chefs in cruise lines
- Marketing/sales executive in hotels
- Executives in tourism development corporations
and resorts
- Self-employed entrepreneurs
What does the future hold for hospitality education
in India?
Education in general is a priority for the government
and hospitality is no exception. With a growing economy and significantly
improving inbound tourism sector, the hospitality education sector is
set to receive more attention. The quality of education will improve and
so will the employability of hospitality graduates through local tie-ups.
Our institute is always ready to experiment with new ideas. We will continue
doing the best.
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