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One of the reasons why this institute stands on a pedestal so higher than others is the uniqueness and ingenuity in its course curriculum and methodology of its implementation. This was instantly ratified the moment I joined and heard about this course called 'Shodh Yatra'.
Here was a course so different from the rest that it was hard not to catch the fantasy of everyone.

This course takes place in the term break between the fourth and fifth terms. A group of 30-odd students are taken on a week-long trek to different places in India every year by Prof. Anil Gupta. The Professor is renowned for his social work and runs his own NGOs as well. The intent of the course is to sensitize the students to the harsh realities of our country and to come-up with some creative solutions after brain-storming discussions. This year, the destination was Sikkim and I was ready to bid any number of points to book the course for me.

To be honest, the primary reason that motivated me to sign-up for this course was the fact that it would provide me an opportunity to go on a fascinating trek to a beautiful place with my friends and have fun.

There were two more big reasons which convinced me of sacrificing my chance to go home in the holidays and instead opt for this course. The first was that I wanted to spend some quality time with myself. The first year had been extremely hectic and I realized that I was so engrossed in daily routine and pursuits and trying to maintain my social relations that I was starting to lose track of time and in the process, distancing myself from my heart-felt aspirations and feelings. I needed some peaceful time with myself and introspect on what I have been doing and how I need to go ahead in my life, clearly prioritizing my needs and time.

The second reason was that I realized this would be a unique opportunity for me to get close to the rustic life of the hills and put myself in the shoes of those who have not been so lucky in life as I.

We all met at the Delhi airport, armed with our rucksacks and sleeping bags, and the enthusiasm on our faces was for everyone to see. The flight to Bagdogra was 3 hours 45 minutes long as it went via Guwahati, making it the longest I have ever flown at a stretch. But it was a most entertaining journey, with all of us playing various games on board, much to the chagrin of the flight attendants! We hired taxis to take us to SMIT, an engineering college which was supposed to be our base camp from where we would start our ascent.

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* Contributed by -
Vinamra Srivastava (Campus Associate),
PGP - 2,
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.