The Amrita School of Spiritual and Cultural Studies at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has successfully conducted the Vistara Programme, and it has taken place over an 11-day period from December 4-16, 2025, at Amrita Hospital in Faridabad.
The Vistara Programme provided a learning environment for students from various areas, including Allied Health Sciences, Artificial Intelligence, MBBS, Nursing and Postgraduate Programmes. The intention was to assist these students with a holistic approach to development through experiential learning and value-based approaches.
Students who participated in the programme were: students enrolled in Allied Health Sciences, Artificial Intelligence, MBBS, Nursing and Postgraduate Programmes, along with faculty and staff.
The overall intent of this programme was to provide students with important life skills, leadership skills, ethical awareness and emotional intelligence, thus bridging the gap between what is learned in school and how it applies to everyday living.
The Vistara Programme began with an opening ceremony where traditional lamps were lit, representing knowledge and enlightenment, by the Amrita LEAP resource persons, who were experienced faculty members and certified life skills trainers. The resource persons led sessions focusing on Value Education, Indic Studies, Leadership Training, Communication Skills, Youth Mentoring, and Student Engagement.
The programme for Allied Health Sciences students featured an interactive and active approach with guided reflections, group discussion, experiential activities, real-world case studies, and interactive question-and-answer sessions. It was delivered over time in such a way that all of the individual sessions built upon each other toward increasing participants’ awareness of themselves, improving their ability to communicate, enhancing emotional insight, developing the ability to make ethical choices regarding issues, and strengthening social responsibility.
Several prominent academic and institutional leaders contributed to the programme. In addition to presenting on holistic development and value-based healthcare education for the Allied Health Sciences students, Maj. Gen. Dr Tapan Kumar Saha, the Principal of the School of Medicine and Dr Sugandha Vishnoi also presented on this topic. The faculty and post-graduate sessions focused on leadership and professional growth, while the discussion with the Artificial Intelligence students centred around ethical responsibilities in developing technology based on values.
Dr Sanjeev Singh and Ms Sundari Nanda led special presentations for the MBBS student population on leadership, ethics and excellence in the provision of healthcare in the community, while special presentations were provided to all staff members to develop effective channels of communication, enhance collaborative efforts and reinforce the shared values of the institutions.
Dr Lekha Vishnoi was a distinguished speaker during the Nursing Student Workshops and had a highly interactive and engaging session with Swami Nijamritananda Puri that focused on Empathy, Professional Responsibility, and Values related to the healing arts and practice of healthcare. Moreover, the last session regarding future Leader Preparation, Emotional Intelligence, and Ethical Professionalism was an outstanding experience for the nursing students present during that particular workshop.
Dr Maj. Gen Tapan Kumar Saha was instrumental in providing continuous direction and leadership during the execution of the Programme and in demonstrating through his extensive experience combating against present and future threats to the health of the nation. Through the evaluation of this Programme, he was able to evaluate the extent to which this Programme was successful.
With the completion of the Amrita LEAP – Vistara Program, participants were empowered with new skills and knowledge that contributed to their personal development through experiential education, connecting with the community, and training based on values. By promoting the importance of social responsibility through experiential education, the program provided opportunities for participants to grow in their awareness and application of service, compassion, and creating an impact on communities and society at large, which is aligned with Amrita’s Vision of Holistic Education.
