This year (2022), our focus was on introducing students to various aspects of rural governance, administration and development. The idea was to introduce students to the ways in which governance takes place in rural areas, the challenges therein, and the changes which are taking place in a rapidly growing India. The village that was chosen for this purpose was ‘Dhanap’, a village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar city, with a population of around 3500 (2011 census).

The rural immersion program included visits to the Anganwadi centre, the Primary Health Centre (PHC), secondary school and agricultural farms. Students interacted with officials and village residents to understand the challenges faced by them, ranging from provision of basic health care, nutritional and educational needs. The visit to the agricultural farm acquainted students with various facets of the rural economy.