Mumbai is not just India’s financial capital as this is the place where prestigious institutions such as Teach For India reimagines education for 35,000 children, Dignity Foundation supports India’s 5.3 million dementia patients and their families where TISS has trained social workers since 1936. Besides this, Nirmala Niketan has been responding to crises from the Bhopal Gas Tragedy to the Mumbai terror attacks since 1955. It’s the same place where Make-A-Wish has granted 97,200 wishes to children with critical illnesses.
For Parul University’s MSW students selected as the Super 30 cohort, four days inside this ecosystem meant seeing social work not as a career choice but as an operating system for human dignity. Bring a chance by transforming communities at all the levels by enrolling into Parul University’s social work courses after 12th!
The tour was part of Parul University’s Practical Learning Tour programme (146 tours, 19 cities, 280 companies). The university holds NAAC A++ (CGPA 3.55), with dedicated advanced centres for skill development in the Arts, Law, and Humanities domain, and Beyond Academics programmes including Civil Services Coaching.
Day 1 Focused on Education, Care for Elderly Ones, and Community Driven Health
Session 1: Shaheen Mistri, Founder and CEO, Teach For India
Shaheen Mistri‘s philosophy is to lead with love, stay proximate, and find purpose every single day. Her pivotal principle is to see with love, care with love, teach with love, learn with love, stretch with love, grow with love. She spoke to students that education is not about learning from books but about building purpose, progressing communities as framed education will not build relationships.
Session 2: Saniya Gupta, Clinical Psychologist, Dignity Foundation
Technically, India has 5.3 million dementia patients, this score is expected to be triple by 2050. Facts say 1 in 8 elders above 60 age are facing cognitive decline. WHO says 55 million people are living with dementia, globally Saniya Gupta briefed students on how clinical psychology plays a major role in fighting against dementia. She has explained the entire process – case counselling, case management, family guidance, resource connection, and lastly community building. Initiatives such as Chai Masti Centres, dementia cafe, respite care centres, village workshops, reminiscence therapies using storytelling, music and role-play activities. If you’re equally inspired and want to contribute with 100% passion and enthusiasm, enrol into Parul University’s Bachelor of Social Work Programme.
Session 3: Dr Madhav Sathe, Anaesthesiologist, Tilak Hospital
Dr Madhav Sathe works at Bombay Hospital and Breach Candy Hospital, and runs the Bombay Mother and Child Welfare Society at Tilak Hospital. His belief is simple, non-profit must work like a real non-profit, and social ventures have to pay their own way while doing good. On the ground, he’s running e-learning in 406 schools through a PPP model, rural development work across 91 villages in Rajgurunagar, and a fruit breakfast programme that costs just Rs 4 per child per day.
Day 2: Ralegan Siddhi and Shri Anna Hazare
Students visited Ralegan Siddhi, a 3,000-person village that Anna Hazare spent decades rebuilding from scratch. It was drought-hit and struggling. Now it’s a model others travel to study. The village has sent 300+ men into the Army, produced 450+ government officers and over 50 teachers. From the 1980s onward, the community took on five rules by choice: Nasbandhi (family planning), Nashabandhi (no alcohol), Charaibandhi (no open grazing), Kulhadi Bandhi, and Shramdan (everyone contributes labour). On water, 85 conservation structures hold 1 crore litres built with Rs 2 crore from the government and Rs 35 lakh that villagers pooled themselves.
Ankita Bhatt’s review on Day 1, Mumbai Tour
The school there was once written off as a failure. Today it has 750 students and 35 teachers, and takes in the children other schools gave up on. There’s a 9-crore hospital and, remarkably, no police station. Students sat with Anna Hazare and heard his five principles from him directly: Shudh Aachaar, Shudh Vichaar, Jeevan mein daag na ho, Jeevan Nishkalank, Apmaan Nirudh. And if you too wish to live with the same principles, enrol into Parul University’s MSW – Masters of Social Work!
Day 3: India's Two Most Prestigious Social Work Institutions and Inclusive Education
Session 5: Nirmala Niketan (Prof Dr Lidwin Dias, Principal)
Nirmala Niketan started in 1955 and carries NAAC A grade with Empowered Autonomous status. Dr Lidwin Dias was clear about one thing: fieldwork isn’t a requirement to tick off, it’s the heart of everything.
Their Field Action Projects span real issues: Pravaas with elderly people in urban slums, Spandan on tribal malnutrition, Saksham SSR on HIV and TB, Anubhav for youth, and Nirmiti for social innovation. When disasters hit Bhopal, Latur, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Bihar floods the institution showed up. Dr Dias ended with Gandhi’s line: be the change you wish to see. She told students that social work can’t be just a job it has to mean something to you personally.
Session 6: TISS, Prof - Bipin Jojo, Dean - Dr Trupti Jhaveri Panchal
TISS, Prof – Bipin Jojo, Dean – Dr Trupti Jhaveri Panchal goes back to 1936, holds NAAC A++, and is one of Asia’s oldest social work schools, 86+ years in, with ties to 120+ countries. Their Field Action Projects cover Koshish (homeless communities), Prayas (criminal justice), Tarasha (women with mental health conditions), and Pragati (tribal health). The Special Cell for Women and Children has been running since 1984, it places social workers inside police stations to offer legal and emotional support to women and children.
A Resource Centre set up in 2007 has taken that model to other states. Dr Trupti Panchal talked about 36 years working alongside women and tribal communities, including the Bedia community in Madhya Pradesh. Prof Jojo said it plainly: Learn. Meet. Experience. You too can experience the best by pursuing a career that aligns with purpose, explore social work programs after 12th!
Session 7: Sampoorna Shiksha (Lata Srinivasan, Co-Founder and CEO)
Sampoorna Shiksha (Lata Srinivasan, Co-Founder and CEO) the group visited Motilal Nehru School, which the foundation has adopted. Their work sits on three things, training teachers, building toy libraries, and putting children at the centre of learning. Project Khilona has crossed 100 toy libraries. Tech Pathshala has 13+ computer labs across 5 states. Shikshak Vikas handles teacher training and spoken English. They also have a collaboration running in Dubai.
Day 4: Youth Empowerment, Wish Fulfilment, and Corporate Social Responsibility
Session 8: Yuva Parivartan / KSWA (Kishor Kher, Mrinalini Kher)
Kherwadi Social Welfare Association (Kishor Kher, Mrinalini Kher) founded 1928. Yuva Parivartan launched 2003 by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. 1.5 million+ lives empowered across 18 states. Focus: school dropouts, livelihood through skilling, women empowerment. Innovative Fast Food Chain Training (2022). Donors: HDFC, Tata, SBI. Audited by Price water house Coopers’ CEO Sunil Kumar Sharma left corporate MNCs for social work, telling students: A dream written down holds far more power than one merely spoken.
Session 9: Make-A-Wish India (Sophia Falcao, Bhakti)
Make-A-Wish India 25 years, 53 countries, 8 India chapters, 120+ hospitals, 100+ volunteers. 97,200 wishes granted in India. 350+ wishes per month at Tata Memorial Hospital alone. Children aged 3 to 18. Each wish begins with a 40 to 45 minute conversation. Four wish types: wish to have, wish to be, wish to meet, wish to go. Operational model: governing committee, programme management, field volunteers, fundraising, finance, communications, partnerships, advocacy.
Session 10: SBI Foundation CSR (Rajaram Chavan, Head of Operations)
Established 2015 as Section 8 company under Companies Act 2013. CSR arm of State Bank of India. 14+ years experience. Flagship programmes: SBI Gram Seva (rural development), SBI Sanjeevani (preventive healthcare), SBI Matruchhaya (maternal and child welfare). Works across 112 aspirational districts aligned with NITI Aayog. Sonagachi (Kolkata) programme designing interventions in fragile social environments with dignity. Mr Chavan: SBI Foundation CSR is not just philanthropy, it is a systematic strategic effort with measurable outcomes.
Read ahead the raw and real experiences of students, as shared on LinkedIn.
Amaya Raj on how Teach For India inspired her!
Ishan Kashiv on meeting Shaheen Mistri, Mumbai Tour
Yash Ladva on her experience with Make-A-Wish-India, Mumbai Tour
Frequently Asked Questions
What institutions did Parul University social work students visit?
10 sessions across 9 institutions over 4 days: Teach For India (Shaheen Mistri), Dignity Foundation (Saniya Gupta), Tilak Hospital (Dr Madhav Sathe), Ralegan Siddhi (Anna Hazare), Nirmala Niketan (Prof Lidwin Dias), TISS (Prof Bipin Jojo, Dr Trupti Panchal), Sampoorna Shiksha (Lata Srinivasan), Yuva Parivartan (Kishor and Mrinalini Kher), Make-A-Wish India (Sophia Falcao), and SBI Foundation CSR (Rajaram Chavan).
Is Parul University good for MSW?
The Social Work Tour covered Teach For India, TISS (Asia's oldest social work institution), Nirmala Niketan (1955, Empowered Autonomous), Anna Hazare's Ralegan Siddhi, Make-A-Wish India (97,200 wishes), and SBI CSR (112 aspirational districts). 11+ students published 100+ LinkedIn posts. Parul University holds NAAC A++ (CGPA 3.55) with dedicated Beyond Academics programmes. Quora respondents consistently describe PU as offering strong practical exposure for social work.
