Bhopal to Bhuj Study Tour Provides Social Work Students Practical Exposure to Industry, Rehabilitation and Community Development

The Department of Social Work, The Bhopal School of Social Sciences (BSSS), Bhopal, organized a Study Tour from Bhopal to Bhuj, Gujarat, from September 6 to 12, 2026, for students of Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Semester V and Master of Social Work (MSW) Semester III. The study tour was organized as an integral component of academic learning, field exposure and experiential education.

After reaching Bhuj, the students visited a range of industries, educational institutions, NGOs, healthcare facilities and community development initiatives. The tour provided students with first-hand exposure to various dimensions of social work, including community intervention, rehabilitation, industrial social work, rural development and post-disaster reconstruction.

On September 8, the students visited Parle Industries Ltd., Bhuj, and Surya Roshni Limited, Anjar, Kutch. The visits enabled students to understand industrial work environments, organizational functioning, human resource practices and the potential role of social work within industrial settings.

On September 9, the students visited the Department of Social Work, KSKV Kachchh University, KHAMIR NGO, and the Psychiatric Department of GK General Hospital. At the university, students gained insights into social work education and academic practices. At KHAMIR, they observed initiatives related to local crafts, livelihoods and community development. The visit to the Psychiatric Department provided exposure to mental health services, treatment, rehabilitation and the role of social workers in psychiatric care.

On September 10, the students visited VRTI, Mandvi, where they learned about rural development and community-based interventions. The students also visited Mandvi Beach, gaining an opportunity to understand the local social and geographical environment.

On September 11, the group visited Kunariya, a Model Village of Kachchh, followed by a visit to Smruti Van Earthquake Museum, Bhuj. These visits helped students understand disaster management, post-disaster rehabilitation, community reconstruction and humanitarian interventions.

On September 12, before commencing their return journey, the students visited Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad. Following the visit, the group boarded the train from Ahmedabad and departed for Bhopal.

The students were accompanied by Mr. Ramnarayan Vishwakarma, Ms. Vandana Rajpoot and Mr. Atul Vishwakarma, faculty members, Department of Social Work, BSSS.

The study tour offered students an opportunity to connect classroom theory with real-life field experiences. They gained practical understanding of institutional functioning, innovative intervention approaches and diverse professional practices in social work. Significant learning was gained in areas such as industrial social work, mental health and psychiatric rehabilitation, rural and community development, livelihood promotion, disaster rehabilitation and community reconstruction.

The Department of Social Work expressed its sincere gratitude to the BSSS Management, Head of the Department, Kachchh University, NGOs, industries, hospital authorities and all partner institutions and representatives for their valuable cooperation and support in making the study tour successful.

The Department emphasized that such experiential learning opportunities play an important role in strengthening students’ professional competence, practical knowledge, field skills and sensitivity towards diverse social realities.

---