Brimming with confidence, Arunita, a third year student of Journalism (Hons), Kalindi College is among the 15 students of her college, who will visit central India via an educational train-Gyanodaya Express, run by Delhi University.

“It is a good opportunity for us to mould ourselves into a research-oriented culture,” says Arunita, who along with 900 students from different colleges will visit Kanpur, Varanasi, Bhopal, Ahmedabad and Surat and study the impact of urbanisation in these cities. “The theme, this year, is
‘Urbanisation Now and Then’, under which every college will work on one to two projects,” says Arunita.

The 21-year-old will do a research on the silk weavers in Varanasi. “Our team will assess the impact of urbanisation on silk weaving industry. Our mentor will be guiding us throughout the nine-day journey,” says an excited Arunita as the dates for the journey draw closer.

The train will leave from Delhi’s Safdarjung Railway Station on March 11 and return on March 19. The students will first visit the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. “If time permits we will also visit the bank of Ganges and the leather industry,” says Arunita.

They will move to Varanasi on the third day. During the two-day stay, students will visit the iconic Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and interact with silk industry workers.  Thereafter, they head for Bharat Bhawan and Sanchi Stupa, in Bhopal. The two-day stay in Bhopal comprises a tour to the lower lake and the archaeological museum.
The Madhya Pradesh leg over, the youngsters will move on to Gujarat for a visit to the Mohenjodaro Heritage site and Sabaramati Ashram in Ahmedabad. The trip will end in Surat where they  will get a chance to learn about the diamond industry and Surat Municipal Corporation.

Like Arunita, students from different colleges will study different aspects related to urbanisation. Like Ramjas College will do a study on the historical interpretation of urbanisation in Varanasi; Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce will do an analysis of diamond and silk industry while Sri Aurobindo College will present a comparative profile of municipal administration in various cities with special reference to Surat Municipal Corporation.

The Zakir Husain College will be involved in sample collection, survey, chemical analysis of river water in context of rapid urbanisation; Bharti College will review disaster preparedness in railway stations and awareness;  the Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College will observe cultural journey of migrant labourers. Students of Kirori Mal College will conduct a study on the utilisation of waste material and development in industrial areas while Maharaja Agrasen College students will research on the co-existence  of urbanisation and heritage conservation in five cities.

Notably, the mentor will guide the students during the pre – journey period on the scope of the study, problem statement and methodology for conduct of the study.