India: Sustainable Development and Social Change

Educational Excursions

The program includes visits to a diversity of NGO headquarters, prominent academic and research institutes, and villages. Visits to locations in Rajasthan such as Bikaner and Jodhpur expose students to the realities of rural life in India, as well as rural settlement patterns and infrastructure.

In a typical semester, the program visits many of the following NGOs and other organizations:

Bodh Shiksha Samiti (Jaipur and Rajasthan) works toward quality education for underprivileged children through its community residential schools founded in 1987. It currently serves more than 26,000 children (urban and rural) through its bodhshalas and government schools in Rajasthan.
Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti ('Jaipur Foot' Factory )
The Jaipur Foot Factory is the world's largest producer of prosthetic (below the waist) limbs, provided free-of-cost to those in need, irrespective of caste, religion, origin, and ethnicity. This excursion orients students with one of the most successful models of a physical disability rehabilitation center and provides an opportunity to learn about social change and the empowerment of physically disabled individuals.
Gram Vikas Navyuvak Mandal (GVNML) (Laporia, Rajasthan)
GVNML is run by Asoka fellow, social activist, and development practitioner, Mr. Laxman Singh and is engaged in various development and conservation initiatives including biodiversity conservation.
Uttari Rajasthan Milk Union Limited (URMUL) Trust (Bikaner) works with indigent individuals to facilitate increased self-reliance.
Binani Girls College, University of Bikaner
Binani Girls College is a private institution, which provides higher education for women in the Bikaner district of Rajasthan. SIT students may interact with students their own age currently enrolled in the college.
Pakistan Visthapit Sangh (Jodhpur)
PVS is a rights-based movement that highlights the plight of Hindu refugees who have been victims of religious fundamentalism. The organization advocates for their citizenship and rehabilitation.
Grameen Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GRAVIS) (Jodhpur)
One of the most respected development NGOs in western Rajasthan, GRAVIS works for the empowerment of Thar Desert communities in Rajasthan.
Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (Dehradun, Uttarakhan)
RLEK works for the empowerment of marginalized indigenous groups, women, and children.
Navdanya (Dehradun, Uttarakhand)
Navdanya (Nine Seeds) works to promote biodiversity conservation as well as organic and integrated farming by emphasizing the rights of farmers. The organization is led by Dr. Vandana Shiva, a feminist environmentalist and physicist who has been a strong critic of genetic and chemical agriculture, bio piracy, globalization and food security, and related policies.

Development Workshops
Gain practical and hands-on experience working in development through the program’s 5-7 day workshop. Diverse options are typically offered in the rural village of Ooghna, Udaipur District (Rajasthan); in the state of Sikkim in the Indian Himalayas; Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh; and Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India.

Sample workshop sites:

Kiran Centre (Madhopur/Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
A center for education and rehabilitation for children and youth—many of whom are suffering from polio, cerebral palsy, rickets, or hearing impairments—Kiran provides children with education, vocational training, physical rehabilitation, and other skills.
Varanasi Weavers Foundation (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
VWF advocates for the Varanasi silk weaving community and for the preservation of the art of weaving. The organization aims to empower and organize the weavers to become self sufficient; revive and preserve their traditional skills; and train and engage women in weaving-related income generation activity.
Gandhi Manav Kalyan Society (Oghna, Rajasthan)
Led by tribal community activists, GMKS works in the areas of natural resource management; sustainable agriculture; child development; community health; Kathodi Tribe rehabilitation; women’s empowerment; and disaster management.
The Mountain Institute and the Comprehensive Tourism Development Society (Sikkim)
This workshop gives students the opportunity to live in a rural village and observe traditional farming systems, agro-forestry, and biodiversity conservation in the region. Participation in household and farm activities, including making local handicrafts, will orient students to the community’s integrated farming methods. Students will interact with farmers from different communities and meet with Lepchas, the original inhabitants of the state. Students will also observe weekly markets, terraced farming systems, mountain communities and their livelihood patterns, the region’s infrastructure, and challenges and issues related to development in a mountainous context.
Sathyabama University (Chennai, Tamil Nadu, South India)
Previously focused on engineering, Sathyabama University in Chennai now runs non-formal education programs throughout 18 village resource centers in the state of Tamil Nadu. The university recently established the Centre for Waste Management, a joint initiative with the National Solid Waste Association of India; it’s the first of its kind in India. The workshop at Satyabhama University exposes students to the challenges associated with waste management in India; visions of social change espoused by local youth; the functionality of a university in India; and the growing role of private institutions in education and development in India. The workshop also unveils much of the richness of south Indian culture.