“More Muslim women should join B-Schools”
At a young age, Tarannum has achieved what few Muslim women have: an MBA degree from an Indian Institute of Management. More interestingly, she carries behind her three years of experience as a primary school teacher in a small school at Calcutta.
Pagalguy.com catches up with Tarannum Ara after the IIM-Indore Convocation Ceremony for the Batch of 2005.
A few facts.
CAT percentile: 99.21
Final Calls: I
Work-Experience: 32 months teaching elementary mathematics and science to primary school kids at Assembly of Angels School, Kolkata.
Under-graduation: BSc (Hons), Calcutta University
What is the difference between teaching in primary school and studying in B-school ?
No difference. Youre surrounded by curious, bright, eager and mischievous kids in both situations. Quite delightfully, you become like them pretty soon in both situations.
What made you jump professions from teaching to management?
Teaching was an enriching experience. But it always made me feel limited. After about two years, I became confident that I could do more for my family and myself. Need for financial independence was also an important contributing factor.
Being from a very traditional Muslim family, how did your parents react to your decision to join IIM, Indore?
Most of all, they were worried that I was going to live alone at a faraway city. It is not an accepted thing for women to do in my community. In fact, it took months of convincing to let my parents allow me to go to Indore. Now they dont mind my going to Mumbai for the ICICI Lombard job. Two years ago I was just another Muslim woman. Now I am a proud one at that.
How did you keep up with your religion during the two years at IIM, Indore?
Considering the tight schedule of classes, quizzes, assignments and presentations, I could not offer namaaz regularly. But I always kept a small copy of the Holy Quran with me as it gave me inner strength.
In fact, I would call upon more Muslim women as well as men from the middle-class to aspire for high-profile careers.
Your best moments at IIM, Indore?
Every moment of the learning process here. I found that the biggest asset of a B-school is its students. Learning to live, work and develop with the best brains from the country has put my personality several notches up. As for the rigour, it is painful in the beginning but you get used to it. There is no other choice.
The author is a Correspondent with The Pioneer, Bhopal and operates an NGO ‘Soochna Mitr’ for IT content development in rural areas. He abortively contemplates appearing for CAT again approximately 37 times per annum.