On the cold winter afternoon of 7th December, in the heart of Delhi, the IIT Madras delegation kicked off the SLC Parliament Trip 2024, with over forty students, including legislators, Executive Committee members, members of the Public Policy Club, and members from the GSB. An annual source of contention for the SLC budget, the Parliament Trip had in recent editions been infamous for being considered, by some, a wasteful expenditure with vaguely defined motivations and unclear selection criteria. However, this edition of the Trip promised to be different, with meticulous application-based selections for attendees and a clear objective in mind: to improve student governance in IIT Madras. The itinerary included multiple panel discussions, site visits, and interactions with esteemed dignitaries over five days. With clear, bright hope, the delegation began with a visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Day 0 (7/12)
Accommodated at the campus of IIT Delhi, members of the delegation trickled in over Sunday. All delegates who arrived before 2 PM got the opportunity to visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan, one of the pioneering symbols of Indian governance. A guided tour took everyone around the estate and inside the Bhavan, where we witnessed the immaculate architecture of the recently renamed Ganatantra Mandap as well as the Ashoka Mandap. The guide then took us to the Janjatiya Darpan, a tribal museum that showcased the rich culture and legacy of India’s various tribal communities. Quite fortunately, the conclusion of the tour also coincided with the daily lowering of the Indian Flag accompanied by the change of guards, which we were able to witness. Delegates were then given the option to return to IIT Delhi, while many of them went out to experience the nightlife of New Delhi.
Day 1 (8/12)
The first day of the Trip was dedicated to “Delhi Darshan” i.e. a tour of Delhi, during which we visited the iconic heritage sites of Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Jantar Mantar, and India Gate. A guide took us around the Qutub Minar complex, where we got to see, besides the Qutub Minar itself, the Alai Minar, the Alai Darwaza, and the Iron Pillar. A short bus ride later, we reached Humayun’s tomb, another famous relic of the Mughal Empire. After a saunter around the complex, we moved on to visit the Jantar Mantar, a beautiful work of architecture and science. As the sun set, we reached the India Gate just in time to witness the Tiranga lights being turned on. The incredible view of Rajpath from the India Gate was sure to remain a lifetime memory in the minds of the delegates.
Day 2 (9/12)
The panel discussions and site visits began in earnest on day two, with the first visit being one of the most memorable: the Supreme Court. After a rigorous security check, we entered the premises, upon which a guide whisked us off to visit the different facilities in the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, the museum of the Court was undergoing renovations, so we quickly moved on to visit the Supreme Court Judge’s Library. Standing over 5 stories tall, the Library is one of the biggest collections of judicial resources and case materials in India, and the hushed silence in the building lent a gravitas to the moment. Followed by lunch in the Supreme Court canteen, we began our journey to the second panel discussion for the day, at Lokpal.
On the way, we decided to take a short detour to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple. We then proceeded to Lokpal, the central anti-corruption authority in India. The session at Lokpal provided key insights on how our campus’ own anti-corruption authority, the Financial Accountability Committee, could be revamped. We quickly toured the facilities, followed by samosas and tea. The panel interaction with Justice A M Khanwilkar, the Chairperson of Lokpal, was quite insightful, with questions on the functioning and scope of Lokpal and discussions on the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, providing the delegates with a vision for the replication of such a system back home.
Day 3 (10/12)
The third day promised to be one of the longest and most intensive days of the trip, with four different visits on the itinerary. The first panel discussion of the day was at the World Bank India office, where we were welcomed with samosas and tea. We were shown presentations on the World Bank’s close involvement with India’s development post-independence, as well as the performance of current water management projects funded by the World Bank. Following this, Mr. Paul Procee, Operations Manager at World Bank India, discussed the development priorities for the World Bank in the 21st century, with special attention towards gender equality in financing opportunities, disaster management, and sustainability. Delegates asked questions on how the World Bank tackles repayment risks, as well as how “green jobs” are poised to grow in the upcoming decade. After some group photos, we were on our way to visit one such World Bank-funded project in Delhi itself, the Okhla Barrage. Built over the Yamuna river, the Barrage provides irrigation for lakhs of farmers in the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
We then made our way to the interaction with the Hon. Leader of the Opposition of the Lok Sabha, Shri Rahul Gandhi. We were quickly seated outside the office building and were soon joined by him. The session remained quite interactive, with some opening remarks from Mr. Gandhi on the current state of India’s economy and workforce and his vision for the future, which focused heavily on India transitioning to a production economy. Delegates asked about how Indian education compares to that in the rest of the world, to which Mr. Gandhi remarked that there is a need for a rework in the school curriculum to include value education, an integral part of Indian education since time immemorial. A few questions on international relations and RnD later, we left for our final panel of the day at Vanijya Bhavan with the Hon. Minister of Industry and Supply, Shri Piyush Goyal.
The panel interaction began with the Co-Curricular Affairs Secretary providing an overview of the developments happening at IIT Madras with respect to Nirmaan and other industry-related ventures. Following this, delegates interacted with Mr. Goyal on topics such as environmental regulations and the growing startup culture. Coincidentally, the Ministry of Industry had launched the BHASKAR portal, a one-stop platform for all startup needs, that very morning. The discussion concluded with a group photo, following which we returned to IIT Delhi.
Day 4 (11/12)
Needless to say, the hectic schedule was beginning to get to the delegates, and we left for our panels of the day an hour behind schedule. Our first interaction was at the Noida Special Economic Zone, one of the biggest Economic Zones in India. We were given the opportunity to interact with the Deputy Development Commissioner, who took us through a presentation on the growth of SEZs over the last decade. This was followed by questions from delegates who wanted insights on how we can bridge the gap between research and industry. We were then taken to the Capgemini Skill Development Centre, a novel initiative that provides underprivileged children from 6th to 8th grade, as well as undergraduates, access to skill development and cutting-edge facilities.
We then returned to IIT Delhi for a snack break, following which we made our way to the PHD – Chamber of Commerce and Industry. An NGO that has played a pivotal role in India’s industrial development, it has existed for over a century. Dr. S P Sharma, the Chief Economist, spoke at length about India’s economic growth since independence and the vision ahead.
Although not initially on the itinerary, we made time to visit the Bharat Mandapam, kindly arranged by the Office of Shri Piyush Goyal. The sprawling convention centre blew us away with its incredible decor, lush interiors, and breathtaking chandelier, one of the biggest in Asia. On our way back, the SLC Speaker announced a surprise in one of the most memorable moments of the trip, “This year, the Parliament Trip shall go to the Parliament,” much to the cheer of every delegate present. Initially absent from the itinerary due to lack of confirmation from the Parliament authorities, permission was obtained from the Vice President’s Office that very evening.
Day 5 (12/12)
The final day of the trip was, perhaps, the most unexpected but also the most memorable, with the entire day’s itinerary being cleared for a visit to the Parliament of India. Unfortunately, this meant that our panel interaction with the Observer Research Foundation had to be conducted online, but this did not prevent us from gaining some insights from the members of the ORF, as well as getting our questions on international policy and governance answered. Entering the Parliament could have its own spot on the itinerary, involving multiple security checks and waiting for our passes to come through. We quickly moved towards the Rajya Sabha Visitor’s Gallery to catch the Rajya Sabha in session, but just missed out on it due to an early adjournment of the House.
Nonetheless, we were then taken to meet the Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar. After a few photographs, the Vice President graced us with a few words on the importance of students like us for the future of our nation, and his expectations from us going forward. We were fortunate to be granted permission to view the Rajya Sabha from the Visitor’s Gallery, where a guide explained the importance of the architecture in the New Parliament Building. Following lunch at the canteen, we moved to the lower floors of Parliament to visit the museum and various exhibits. Our guide then took us to the Old Parliament Building, which was a flashback from our school civics textbooks. We visited the Central Hall, as well as both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, all throughout being informed about the significance of these venues by our guide. Finally, the tour concluded with a visit to the Parliament Annexure, where an informal session was arranged with dignitaries from the Vice President’s Office. Fitting for the last visit of our trip, we were served samosas and tea one last time. A visit to the Parliament Gift Shop and a few photographs later, the SLC Parliament Trip 2024 was officially over.
Having been a vocal skeptic of the Parliament Trip for the last few years, the author was unsure of how this year’s edition would pan out. To say it was a pleasant surprise, however, would be a massive understatement. The quality of panel interactions, the cohesiveness of the itinerary, and the efforts put in by the organising team all far surpassed the author’s expectations. Unexpected changes to the itinerary were quickly addressed to ensure not a moment of time went wasted. After the trip concluded, all delegates were given the task of writing a report on the trip, as well as polishing up the draft proposals they were required to propose in their applications. As a GSB member with a soft corner for student governance, the author sincerely hopes that future editions of the Trip build upon this foundation to make this annual tradition one that each individual in the GSB aspires to attend.
