NSHM Knowledge Campus MBA Review By Himanshu Rana

When one talks about B-Schools, they think that if one can pay the fees, they automatically become eligible to get placed at a private College. Well, NHSM is different from those because entrance scores are taken into consideration and the seats for MBA are few, so it's not that anyone can take admissions. Yes, some seats are available with caption fees, but maximum seats are on merit. One can change their arm here because NHSM is good not in education but good with placements too. Due to Covid, the placements were a little poor during our batch, but in the 2019 batch, the students were placed in numbers and that too with decent figures. All NHSM needs is some bright faculties because most faculties were average and when the issue was raised to the management, they have said that they will be rectifying this part. I was eagerly waiting for that to happen during my time, but I am sure NHSM must have done their bit by now.

All the hype around NHSM's education is good, but I would say, its work is still in progress. NHSM hasn't bought education for love or money because they have included a few subjects on their own and some from IIMs as the library of NHSM has connected with their library. Whatever was taken from IIM was good, but the content and the topics which were made into subjects felt unwanted. Well, in Business Studies, one can only learn the basics because, before application, it is impossible to get the road built of management studies. So, a lot of practicals were included in our curriculum and that made us understand all the know-how of management studies. If it weren't for that many practicals, the studies would have looked meaningless.

Faculties were average because some of them were good while some of them were woeful. They were hired looking at educational acumen, but were handed the subjects to teach in which they had no prior experience. I believe potent people for this job are required, and we used to have an introspection event each semester, and as soon as all the students raised the issue of bringing some new faculties, the management agreed. Before the final semester could kick-off, the Covid arrived and things were halted then and there.

Luckily, in the little time that we had after the 3rd semester and the second month of the final semester, the placements started happening. Nearly 40 per cent of the crowd was placed during that period, while the rest had to wait for their opportunities. I don't know whether it came or not, but an MBA degree from NHSM Knowledge Campus will easily fetch them a job in Kolkata itself. A few batches before the placements were over 70% and that too with an average package of 6 lakhs per annum. So, placements-wise NHSM Knowledge campus has done good, if not considered in a potent College where placements will happen at any cost.

There's no on-campus hostel on campus, but the hostels of the College are located closely. The College is in one of the prime locations of Kolkata and that is New Alipore. Finding accommodation and some of the best food on the planet is indeed possible here. 'Mamamomo' was close to our campus as it was in between the hostel and the College. Hostels are good, but because I haven't seen them personally, there's no point in me boasting about them. I can surely boast of the area around the hostel as if I was a Mosteller, I would have at least not joined the hostel mess.

The infrastructure anecdote from my side would be that it was a great campus to look for. The classes were amazing as it had ACs and also the library was fully air-conditioned. Even the canteen was comfortable, as around 200+ students could be easily accommodated there. However, as I have said about the food joints in the area close to the College, we mostly used to hop to Food Buddyz, and Just for Foodies Café. A lot of the area was under construction as two new buildings were getting built. There was a gym and the basketball court was used more for yoga sessions than for playing basketball.

Campus life here is encouraging because the crowd is indeed the best. It was painful, though, to watch the engineering students take the limelight at the events; but the management events were no less. Management and Health Sciences students' common fest 'NATCONPH' was organized. CEOs of the healthcare sector came and did Ted X at the campus. So, the campus gave us enough opportunities to learn, but there was nothing strict. So those who took it rather casually, unfortunately, made their losses.