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TagOn Talks

A monthly newsletter on student volunteering, community service and service learning

Issue 04 | April 2024

From Editors' Desk

Presenting fourth issue of TagOn Talks! In this issue, we bring to you notes from Dr. Madhavi Lokhande, Incharge Director & Dean at Welingkar Institute of Management, Bengaluru in our Leadership Logs section. Learning Bytes section will make you think if we need service learning in India or not. We focus on Disability as a cause in this edition and also feature an NPO that works in this space. We conclude with an exciting update from LetsTagOn. 


Happy reading,

Team LetsTagOn

Leadership Logs

Conversations with visionary education leaders shaping tomorrow's minds

How can community service be effectively integrated into the curriculum to enhance students' educational experiences? How have you done it in your institute?

Community service teaches students the value of serving others and helps them develop self-discipline and critical thinking skills. Community service also prepares students for their future by helping them learn what it means to be responsible citizens. We have social and environmental sensitization workshops as part of 'Neev' -  the orientation/induction program of every new batch. This sets the tone for the culture of social awareness and responsibility. Our flagship program called Global Citizen Leadership program (GCL), offers students opportunities to engage with social organizations and work on problems faced by communities and organizations. This is a 2-term long program that students undertake in their first year which provides students with a broader world view and opportunity to develop skills by working on live problems. 

Dr. Purushottam Bung

Dr. Madhavi Lokhande

Incharge Director & Dean, Welingkar Institute of Management, Bengaluru

What value do you think community service adds to a student's life?

We as educational institutes carry the responsibility to develop and nurture aware, active and engaged citizens. Community engagement as part of higher education offers this opportunity to meet objectives of awareness, responsible leadership, skill development and social impact. The community service projects provide awareness and exposure to students in addition to skill development, which prepares them for employment.

Learning Bytes

Insights on service learning, volunteering and community service

Focusing on service learning in India, brings an essential question of whether we need that focus in a country which has seva in its roots. In the Indian context, service learning may not have been prevalent in the historical educational systems of India in the same way it is today. However, the concept of community service and learning from practical experiences has deep roots in Indian culture and traditions.

  • Concepts such as "Seva" (selfless service) and "Dharma" (duty) have guided individuals and communities to serve those in need. It involves acts of service performed without any expectation of reward, motivated by a sense of duty and compassion.

  • Historically, India's traditional Gurukul system of education emphasized learning through practical experiences and interactions with teachers. 

  • Mahatma Gandhi, emphasized the importance of service to others as a fundamental aspect of life. His concept of "Sarvodaya" (the upliftment of all) and "Satyagraha" (truth-force) were grounded in principles of nonviolence, selfless service, and community empowerment. 

  • During the freedom struggle, promoting khadi, rural development initiatives, sanitation campaigns, and promoting communal harmony were few of the initiatives which also had gained momentum. 

  • Throughout Indian history, various social reform movements have emerged to address issues such as caste discrimination, women's rights, education for all, and poverty alleviation. These movements often involved grassroots activism, community organizing, and service-oriented initiatives aimed at bringing about positive change in society.

  • Temples, mosques, gurdwaras, and other religious institutions across India have a long tradition of seva, or selfless service. Volunteers often engage in activities such as preparing and serving food to the needy, cleaning the premises, providing medical aid, and organizing community events. 

These examples illustrate the rich tradition of service-oriented practices in Indian society, ranging from ancient educational systems to contemporary service learning programs. 

Cause Spotlight

Disability as a cause

As per Census 2011, there are 2.68 crore people with disability in India which is 2.21 percent of the total population of the country. These include persons with Visual, Hearing, Speech & Locomotive disability, Mental Retardation, Mental Illness, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disability and any other disabilities.

People with disabilities, throughout the life course, face widespread barriers. People are disabled by society, not just by their bodies. These barriers can be overcome, if governments, nongovernmental organizations, professionals and people with disabilities and their families work together.

The NGOs and social enterprises in the space work towards increasing access to people with disability and create an inclusive society in terms of education, opportunities, livelihood and the ability to lead a normal life. Key areas of work of different NGOs  are listed below. 

  • Education for the children with disability and special schools for which mainstream schools do not cater to.

  • Livelihood/ training centers for adults with disabilities.

  • Rehabilitation centers.

  • Assisted technology to increase access and equity.

  • Improve diversity & inclusion through consulting to corporations. 

  • Organizations working to improve accessibility and improve public places to be more inclusive. 

A volunteer interested to work in the area of disability & inclusion has many opportunities to contribute and make an impact by working in any of the areas above with the organizations.

NGO Showcase

Mitti Cafe

Mitti Cafe is a non profit organization committed to the cause of employment and livelihoods for people with special needs to achieve economic independence and dignity for adults. Mitti Café is a chain of cafes that are completely managed by adults with physical, intellectual, and psychiatric disabilities and are present in more than 40 locations across India, including The Supreme Court of India,  Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport - Mumbai, Kempegowda International Airport - Bangalore  and corporate Parks such as Mercedes-Benz Research And Development India,  RMZ Ecoworld - Bengaluru.

NGO Showcase


Mitti Cafe was founded by Alina Alam in 2017. MITTI Café focuses on training and employing adults with physical, mental and psychiatric disabilities, especially from economically deprived backgrounds, in the hospitality sector.


During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mitti Cafe served over 2 million meals to the poor and vulnerable communities and homeless groups. Mitti Cafe has won several awards including BMW Group Intercultural Innovation Award, SIF-Deutsche Bank's Made for Good Award, and Bumble Grant.

LetsTagOn Highlight

LetsTagOn team facilitated Social & Grassroots Management Program

Check out the video here:

Team LetsTagOn is thrilled to have facilitated the Social & Grassroots Management Program for the students of Dayanand Sagar Business School including a four-day rural immersion in a village Kora near Tumkur. Like the previous year, students were part of many on field and classroom learning sessions. They visited, village market, community places, plog trek to nearby hill, volunteering activities, engaging discussions, case study analysis, and presentations. 


The immersion also had reflections and assessments which facilitated the learning from their experiences. Students thoroughly enjoyed the exposure to rural ecosystem, livelihood and administration.

     
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