Kozhikode, May 16 : The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) has successfully hosted the sixth edition of its Book Donation Programme, donating more than 17,500 books valued at Rs 1.05 crore to 35 colleges spread across 11 districts of Kerala.

The initiative, part of the institute's ongoing corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, on Thursday, witnessed the enthusiastic participation of more than 200 students and faculty members from the beneficiary institutions.

Each participating college received around 500 books valued at Rs 3 lakh, covering a wide spectrum of academic subjects including Economics, Management, Accounting, Commerce, Marketing, Operations Research, Quantitative Methods, Organisational Behaviour, Human Resource Management, Business Ethics, Information Technology, and Literature.

These books were handpicked by IIMK's distinguished faculty and contributed by students as part of the donation drive led by Nalanda -- The Library and Information Centre at IIMK.

The event was presided over by Debashis Chatterjee, Director of IIM Kozhikode, the mind behind this CSR outreach which began in 2011.

Chatterjee said, "IIMK's Book Donation Programme is part of our effort to create 'social reputation' through social relevance. We believe in being accountable to the communities we serve. Knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied, and we hope beneficiaries of this initiative will one day pay it forward," said the IIM Kozhikode Director.

He lauded Kerala's rich literary culture and the enthusiastic participation from across the state, including three women's colleges from Kozhikode, Kannur, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kasaragod, Palakkad, Thrissur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, and Trivandrum.

Since its inception in 2011, IIMK's Book Donation Programme has now distributed more than 70,000 books worth Rs 4.5 crore to educational institutions across Kerala, reaffirming the institute's commitment to education equity, grassroots engagement, and knowledge democratisation.

The IIMK established by the Indian government in 1996 was the fifth and started its academic journey in 1997 with its flagship Postgraduate Program.

IIMK is ranked third according to NIRF India Rankings 2024.

/IANS