7 Things You Did Not Know About XLRI Jamshedpur

By Sailesh Hota

1. Bodhi Tree: People know Bodhi, people do not know XLRI. Trust me. I was one of them! The legendary band, the beacon of hope, the light in our darkness! The band was created by members of the batch of 2003-05. The original name of the band was Bodhi Sapling, and was renamed to Bodhi Tree in 2005. The band has given the Indian youth gems like sab ka katega, GMD, XL ki kudiyaan which over the years have become cult classics. The band is what has encapsulated the true spirit of XL over the years. We XLers believe that "in God we trust, in Bodhi we must!". But the band is not gone. It is alive and growing! New members are inducted every year and carry on the famed legacy.

Fun fact: A Bodhi tree actually exists on campus.

2. XL Mafia: The alumni network is called the XL mafia. Why? Simply because they are everywhere! (Not kidding.)

We meet our alum during Placement talks and alumni meets and hear so many stories from their time in college. It is a beautiful feeling to hear those stories and realise how much the college has changed over the years and how certain things will remain the same forever.

3. Bhasad: Anyone who has been a part of this institution lives by one line - "The bhasad never ends". No more, no less. When life puts you down, you get up, shake off the dust and remember this line and move on.

4. Student run campus: XLRI is a student-run campus. This means that students play an active role in deciding how things are run starting from the mess to the WiFi to the shops that are opened inside. This is done by the Student Affairs Council and various other committees on campus.

5. No Rangoli Making Course: Contrary to popular belief, XLRI does not offer any rangoli making course to the students of Human Resource Management. They are more focused on organizational behaviour, labour laws and ethics.

6. Green Campus: XLRI is a green campus with vehicles not allowed inside for students. There's an effective system of bicycles that can be picked up and dropped off at various points inside the campus, all free of cost. We also have our own Biogas plant which generates biogas from the food waste generated out of the student messes!

7. Oldest MBA college: XLRI is the oldest B-school in India. It was founded in 1949! I guess the founding fathers had an XL-lent understanding of future needs!

So, make up your minds and find your way to XL, folks! There's a lot more to know! ;)

Editor's Note - What are some of the things we don't know about your b-school? Write about it here.