Forty British students reached India end-July and are underwent a first-hand experience of what it was like to be in the world’s largest democracy now credited with the second fastest growing economy in the world! The visit of 40 school-going young British students, managed by the British Council, was split into three phases with groups of ten each visiting the four metros – New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai. The fellows returned to the UK at the end of six weeks and will share their experiences with Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street.

The highlight of the visit to New Delhi was a visit to the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal in Agra and a session learning yoga. In Chennai, they enjoyed visiting one of the world’s longest beaches, learning Tamil and practicing it by actually bargaining and buying vegetables at a local market. In Kolkata, it was a cheer for things like trying their hand at block-printing or trying on the gilded ornaments made for clay idols at the local potter’s village. And in Mumbai, the starry-eyed bunch was drawn into the city’s glamour world as Bollywood’s top movie critic introduced them to the entertainment culture which they quickly followed up with a not-to-beforgotten Bollywood film! On the 19th floor of the Bombay Stock Exchange they were given an insight into the mind-boggling volumes and growth of the economy.

The project wants to create a network of young Britishers with a personal understanding of global citizenship. In Chennai, 10 wonder-eyed, super-excited and intelligent young people found it hard to believe how Chennai was so different from Delhi, thus understanding that India is indeed a large multi-cultural, multilingual and multi-experiential country!

The second fortnight saw the students starting off staying with host families and attending schools. A fellow says in his blog, “The first day was a really enlightening experience! I learnt so much about Indian families: The mother really cares and pampers the children and the parents are definitely in charge. I learnt that the language of the middle and upper classes is not their mother tongue, but English and that extended family is very important to them. And most importantly, the whole family is very warm and welcoming of guests.”

Of her school stint, Kimberley Norris said: ”Before I came to the school I was expecting the lessons to be really strict I think, like that the pupils would sit up really straight and pay attention and stuff, much more than my experiences back home, but it’s not, if anything being in a lesson here is just like being in a lesson back home”.

The students connected easily with the local residents. Keenly trying out the curries galore and even trying to don saris (mostly for a photoop and perhaps keen to figure out how Svelte Shilpa did it so sprucely on Big Brother). On a day-trip to Santiniketan, the university conceptualised by none other than Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the fellows got a chance to see the “Other India”, one that contrasts sharply with the gleaming malls and skyscraper office blocks but is no less charming. Visiting one of the biggest slums in Mumbai they were introduced to ‘the other side of the city’, as they rode a crowded local train and watched people hang out of the train doors.

At the end of the six weeks, were a series of touching farewells — dressed in resplendent Indian wear, dancing to local tunes and gorging on spicy Indian curries — the last of which was a reunion of sorts, too, for the fellows in Delhi. They had split up to be in different parts of the country and came together to leave for the UK.

From a group that had come in with little understanding of the city and a few misplaced notions, Andy James’s blogging his experience says: “Mumbai I think is the best city we’ve been to in India…I can’t recommend this city enough to anyone doing a round the world trip! It’s a must see.” Now they just have to say this to PM Gordon Brown.