Bandipora, September 26: Students of Government Higher Secondary School Baduab in Tulail, Gurez, got first-hand exposure to universities, medical education, scientific research, hydropower generation and forest conservation during a multi-day educational and industrial exposure tour to Bandipora, Ganderbal and Srinagar.
An official spokesperson of the institution said the tour was organised for students of Classes 11 and 12 to Government Medical College, University of Kashmir departments and research laboratories, the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Power Project, a forest museum and a knowledge centre, allowing them to connect classroom learning with real-world institutions and professional fields.
The students were accompanied by Principal of the institution Nayeem Parey and faculty members. The students visited Government Unani Medical College and Associated Hospital, Ganderbal, where they were introduced to medical education and healthcare services.
They visited the Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology and Forensic laboratories and were briefed about their functioning and practical applications. The students also visited hospital wards and the Operation Theatre and learnt about clinical departments and healthcare delivery.
At the University of Kashmir, the students explored departments including Electronics, Information Technology, Physics, Mathematics, Botany and Zoology, besides research laboratories.
At the university’s Botanical Garden and Herbarium, research scholars and scientists explained different plant species, their characteristics and scientific importance. The students were also introduced to the preservation and documentation of plant specimens.
University of Kashmir Registrar Prof Naseer Iqbal interacted with the students and spoke about the importance of higher education and academic pursuits. Former Head of the Department of Mathematics Prof Mukhtar Ahmad Khanday also interacted with the students on mathematics anxiety, encouraging them to understand the subject’s practical applications and career opportunities beyond Class 12.
The students also visited the Iqbal Library, where they were introduced to the role of academic libraries in higher education, research and self-learning.
The tour included a visit to the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Power Project, where Engineer Amandeep Singh explained the basic principles of hydropower generation and the functioning of the project.
For students studying science subjects, the visit provided an opportunity to connect classroom concepts with an operational power project and understand how water resources are used to generate electricity.
At the Waqar Knowledge Centre in the Mini Secretariat, Bandipora, the students interacted with Deputy Commissioner Indu Kanwal Chib and Chief Education Officer Rafiq Ahmad Mir.
Mir appreciated the initiative and said bringing students from Tulail to Bandipora had been a long-standing aspiration. He congratulated the school for organising the programme and emphasised the importance of providing students from remote areas with wider exposure to educational and career opportunities.
The students also visited the Chatternar Museum at the Forest Training College, where they learnt about the region’s natural heritage, biodiversity, forests and wildlife.
Principal Nayeem Parey said the tour was conceived as an educational intervention rather than merely an excursion, particularly for students who have limited opportunities to physically visit universities, laboratories, medical institutions and other centres of learning.
“For many of our students, this was their first visit to Bandipora and Srinagar,” Parey said, adding that the objective was to take students beyond their familiar surroundings and allow them to see opportunities in higher education, science, medicine and technology.
He said physically seeing laboratories, universities, hospitals, research facilities and a hydropower project could have a different impact on students than learning about them only through textbooks.
The school said the programme was supported by the School Education Department, Samagra Shiksha and the Directorate of School Education Kashmir, along with the district administration and education authorities in Bandipora.
Arrangements for the students’ stay at G&B Hostel, Bandipora, and KGBV Bandipora were facilitated with the support of the Chief Education Officer.
The tour gave students from the far-flung Baduab-Tulail area an opportunity to interact directly with professors, scientists, doctors, engineers and education officials and learn about different academic and career pathways.
For the students, the visit offered a glimpse of educational and professional possibilities beyond their immediate surroundings, highlighting the role of exposure programmes in helping bridge the gap created by geographical remoteness.
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