Rural Retreat - Management 'Treat'

Rural Retreat - Management 'Treat'

(Department of HRM, XISS)

People often muse about how technology is bringing people together, how the world is turning into a global village, how the tiniest bit of information travels from one corner of the world to another within a second. But what people are ignoring is how despite being closer to each other due to technology, how many times do people actually have a conversation with one another, one without the use of telephones or internet, or how little we actually care. It is then that we realize the futility of superficial interactions and emotionless bonds. An opportunity like this gives us a chance to introspect and look beyond the mayhem of our everyday life.

The students of the Department of Human Resource Management were given the opportunity to go for the Rural Retreat to Angara district, where they visited the villages of Tirilakotcha and Kherwakotcha to lend our services to the society through shramdaan. They were divided into two groups, wherein the first group started with the Rural Retreat first, and the second group with the Industrial Visit. At the Rural Retreat spread over three days, the students had interactions with numerous Self Help Groups (SHGs) who emphasized upon the ideas of sustainability and cooperation for the welfare of the rural people. SRI (Society for Rural Industrialization) provides the support to these groups and leads the way towards a better future for these people. The village of Kherwakotcha is an example in itself, as it exists with a single family as its population, entirely self-sufficient as they cultivate and grow whatever is needed by them to survive. Being completely organic in their existence, Mr. Toppo and his family lead a very healthy life. The students also took up various projects like repairing tube wells, cleaning the hand pumps, developing channels of water outlet, cleaning wells, etc. in the respective villages. They also put up a Nukkad Natak for the villagers, over the theme of Digitization and created awareness about various social issues.

The students stayed at the SRI campus where they contributed their bit by cleaning the campus as a part of their social responsibility. The students also participated in some rock climbing and team building exercises which made the experience thrilling and enjoyable for everyone. The evenings concluded with all religion prayers and cultural programmes where the students partipated with full enthusiasm. The evening sessions with Ms. Mahua Manjhi, Fr. Xavier Soreng S.J and Fr. Stan Lourduswami S.J, were enriching for the students as they had an opportunity to have a one on one interaction with them.

The three-day Industrial Visit was aimed at polishing the practical knowledge of the students as they visited prominent industries like JSPL(Jindal Steel and Power Limited) Patratu, HEC Ltd.(Heavy Engineering Corporation Limited) and Hindalco Industries Limited, Muri. They were given the chance to make first hand observations from the factories and learn the various nuances and various aspects of Industrial Relations and Labour Law by interacting with experienced professionals from the industry itself. The numerous queries put up regarding Safety procedures, Contract Labour  and Trade Unionism were dealt with and practical insights were provided to the students, as soon-to-be HR professionals.

The entire visit comprising of the industries as well as the rural sector provided the necessary balance to the overall exposure of the students. Stepping out of their comfort zone into an unfamiliar territory helped them learn the relevance of team work, discipline, hardwork and sustainability. This experience has definitely contributed to the growth of the students as individuals and as a team, taking another step in the direction of being Professionals with a Difference.

Courtesy:

Ms. Sushmita Bajpai

(Department of Human Resource Management)

2016-2018