NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

The National Institute of Social Work and Social Sciences, Bhubaneswar, was established in 1971 and has been active since then. Its mision is emancipation of the disadvantaged groups, notably the Dalits and the Tribes in the caste-clawed hierarchical Indian society and to enlist their contribution in shaping the common destiny of the country and its people. The operational area of the Institute has been in India in general and the State of Orissa in particular.

The Institute has gradually come up to its present level as a non-profit making NGO in the voluntary sector. It has four Departments : Research, Training/Teaching, Communication and Action.

Research has been of applied nature and forms an important segment of all the Departments. The focus of research is on weaker sections and helps students at Master’s and Ph.D. levels.

In Training / teaching, it regularly conducts a two-year Degree course at Master’s level in Social Work at Bhubaneswar. In addition it runs three year Degree courses in Social Work at Graduate level in three places in Orissa and on-demand short-term courses in Grassroot Social Work. It also runs a two-year Degree course on Social Communication and Journalism at Master’s level and short-term courses on Grassroot Communication. This course is run through its sister body Centre for Development Education and Communication (CEDEC).The Institute also runs master degree cources in Rural Management , Women Studies and Budhist studies which are affiliated to Utkal University Of Culture , Bhubaneswar. It conducts Post Graduate Diploma in Human Rights separately, it also trains Panchayat Raj, Functionaries and Rural Journalists belonging to the Dalits’ and Tribes’.

For the purpose of conferring Degrees the Institute remains affiliated to the Utkal University and Utkal university of culture , as also has been recognized by the University Grants Commission. The Institute has been recommended by its Parent University and the State Government to the UGC to be declared as a Deemed University. If and when the proposal materilises, NISWASS will be the first Dalit University in the Country.

On the Action side, it has been concentrating on Non-Formal Education, Community Health Care and Slum as also Village level works and Entrepreneurship development among the Dalits, and Tribes.

The Institute has two Chairs (i) Dr. Ambedkar Chair (supported by Ambedkar Foundation, Govt. of India), and, to K.R. Narayanan Chair (partially supported by Mr. Eugene M. Lang, a family friend of the Fomer President Sri. K.R Narayanan. The latter was the Chairman of the Board of Governers of NISWASS till he became the President of India, thereafter continued to be its Patron in his personal capacity). NISWASS as well as CEDEC have FCRA numbers.

The Institute has set up a Dalit Literature and Arts Centre and also a Publication wing. It had successfully experimented with an interactive print media and publishes an educational practice paper along the same lines through its Faculty and students. These efforts are in their embryonic stages.

NISWASS has an ambitious programme of starting a few other Mater’s Degree Courses like in

(a) Human Rights
(b) Tribal and Indigenous Peoples
(c) Environment Management
(d) Disaster Preparedness and Management.

NISWASS needs cooperation and assistance in the building of its capacity for implementation of its self-assigned tasks

the board of directors !