The Gandhian concept of Nail Talim (Basic education) is built on the foundational idea that knowledge and work (understood as physical labour) are organically linked and derive their essence from one another. Shramdhan (Serving by labouring) is a Gandhian way of celebrating physical labour. Right from its inception Gandhigram Rural Institute has accorded Shramdhan a pride of place in its corporate life as well as in its curriculum. Every week, an hour’s time of class work is set aside for Shramdhan activities in the time-table of all Diploma, UG, and PG programmes. During this hour, all students, scholars and staff enthusiastically and collectively engage themselves in cleaning of class rooms, offices, laboratories as well as the surrounding areas of the Departments. Besides undertaking cleaning work, tree planting, gardening and landscaping works are also taken up by them on days of national and international importance such as World Environment Day, World Earth Day, and the like. Shramdhan activities invariably generate deep respect for physical work in the minds of students and staff, in a society that tends to unjustly place higher value in mental work. In recent years the central Government's 'Swachh Bharath Mission' has given a new flip to the Shramdhan activities in GRI.