11th October to be Celebrated as Indian Social Work Day

Naveen Kumar,New Delhi : The senior Social Work academicians and professionals from different central and state universities across the country met in two days National Workshop on 29^th – 30^th June, 2018 in Wardha jointly organized by Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwa Vidyalaya (M.G.A.H.V.V) and Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal and drafted a new curriculum of Master of Social Work (MSW) programmes for Universities in India. Dr. Bishnu Mohan Dash, Former Head, Department of Social Work, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar College, Delhi University who was also the Co-convenor of the workshop is spearheading the movement for Bharatiyakaran of Social Work Curriculum with the aim to make it inclusive, holistic and relevant in Indian Society. He said despite eight decades of social work education in India, it still remains euro centric and professional imperialism and colonial legacy in social work education still continues. The curriculum, pedagogy and overall practice are not in conformity with our basic values and culture and completely ignore the indo-genous and Indic social work perspectives and approaches. The universality of social work wisdom has failed to address the social problems in India.  Dr. Dash said the new curriculum has been prepared through rigorous brain storming exercises. The Bhartiya perspectives and approaches have been added in the curriculum. He said the curriculum contains the lessons from ancient Indian texts Shukra Niti, Vidur Niti, Nyaya Shastra, Natyashastra. It also contains the basic tenets of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other major religions in the curriculum. The social reform movements, rural reconstruction experiments and philosophy of leading philosphers of our country like Nanaji Deshmukh, Ambedkar, Gandhi, Vivekananda  has been integrated in the social work curricula. Speaking on the occasion Shri. Mukul Kanitkar, Organising Secretary of Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal (BSM) emphasized that social work needs to be holistic, integrated and scientific. “We have a great tradition of social service and social reform but the social work curriculum is alien for Bharat,” said Kanitkar, the Chief Guest in the workshop. The Vice Chancellor of M.G.A.H.V. Wardha Prof. Girishwar Mishra who is credited for introducing ‘Indian Psychology’ said, “There is great need for original thinking and research in social work. This is a good beginning but there is long way to go”. He also emphasized for need of qualitative research in social work.

The academic from various leading schools of social work including TISS, Mumbai, Delhi School of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, Central University of Rajasthan, Central University of Kerala, Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu, Assam  Central University, Central University of Karnataka, Udaipur School of Social Work, Nagpur University, Punjabi University, Mizoram University, Mysore University, Pondicherry University and others participated in the workshop. The fraternity of Social Work assembled in wardha decided to celebrate 11^th October, The birth day of Nanaji Deshmukh as Indian Social Work day.  Deshmukh is known for his pioneering contribution towards anti-poverty, rural health, rural education, cottage industry, and tribal population (Vanvasi) in Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh. He carried out social restructuring programme in around 500 villages of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan said Dr. Dash who has been advocating the birth day of Nanaji Deshmukh to be celebrated as Bharatiya Samaj Karya Diwas (Indian Social Work Day). The request for approval to celebrate Indian Social Work Day has been sent to Hon’ble HRD Minister of India, Government of India for Consideration.