Bharat Darshan – An Overview

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine

Every IAS aspirant would know that during the training phase at the hallowed institution of LBSNAA, Mussoorie, an India tour aka Bharat Darshan awaits. This is an experience that the IAS probationers eagerly look forward to. The Bharat Darshan is also called the eight-week winter study tour. During this tour, the probationer travels the length and breadth of India to learn more about the country and also get a first-hand glimpse of the problems faced by the people. This can be an eye-opening experience for many officer-trainees. This article shares a few interesting snippets about the Bharat Darshan at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).

Aspirants of IAS Exam would find this topic very interesting, to know more about life after successfully clearing the UPSC examination.

Bharat Darshan – Interesting Activities

1. The Bharat Darshan starts during the first week of December when snowfall commences in Mussoorie. This is one of the most interesting parts of the training.
2. This tour lasts for eight weeks during which time almost the entire country is traversed by the IAS probationer.
3. This is a privilege that only IAS trainees get and not the other services like IPS, IFS, etc. They, of course, have other travels in other institutes, but none perhaps as comprehensive as the IAS officers’ Bharat Darshan.
4. Generally, the probationers are divided into groups and each group is assigned a Group Leader.
5. Each group is sent to different places and they all come back to Mussoorie at the same time as the Darshan culminates.
6. The purpose of the tour as described by the course handbook at LBSNAA is “to expose officer trainees to a wide range of organizations and situations they are going to run into during their careers and also give them a glimpse of the diversity of our cultural heritage.”
7. During the tour, the officer trainees are attached to different groups like Army, NGOs, etc.
8. Here, they get a first-hand account and experience of the work done by various institutes. This enables them to understand the problems and difficulties faced by the people and by the authorities and people trying to help them.
9. The trainees experience diverse situations where they would get to live in great hotels and also would have to sleep on the floor in simple huts.
10. They go to both rural and urban areas.
11. They would meet eminent personalities who would talk to them about their work.
12. Probationers would be able to appreciate the diversity in India since they travel throughout the country.
13. They would even be exposed to life-threatening situations in Kashmir and other troubled regions of the country.
14. Most trainees rate this experience as a life-changing and humbling journey.

The idea of the Bharat Darshan is to help the IAS officer-trainee appreciate the diversity, greatness and problems of India. It is also aimed at building leadership qualities and survival instincts in them. So, are you up for the challenge? If you are, gear up your IAS preparation and don’t rest till you reach your destination.

Aspiring candidates can visit the link on UPSC 2023.

Related Links