Indian Social Work

From a TAXPAYER’s view

 Is there Social Work in India?

YES, theoretically

NO, practically

Then????
 INDIA

• Colorful and diverse • Developing country

• Secular State – Religion and State are • Major occupation – Agriculture
different
• Religious and proud citizens
• Parliamentary system governed under the
Constitution of India • Graded inequality1 – thousands of
castes and sub-castes
• 2nd largest populous country in the world
• Has a space programme and is a nuclear- • Gender inequality, child malnutrition2
weapon state • National floor-level wage: INR 176
• Fastest growing economy (USD 2.80) per 8 hour work day3

1. Hiwrale, A. (2020) Caste: Understanding the Nuances from Ambedkar’s Expositions. Journal of Social Inclusion Studies 6(1): 78-96. https://doi.org/10.1177/2394481120944772
2. Narayan, J; John, D; Ramadas, N (2018). Malnutrition in India: status and government initiatives. Journal of Public Health Policy. 40 (1): 126–141. doi:10.1057/s41271-018-0149-5. ISSN 
0197-5897
 Social Work in India – A brief timeline
• Ancient (Before AD
1000)
 “May the one who gives
shine the most” (Rigveda)
 Influenced by religion and
charity
• Medieval (1206-1706)
 Muslim reign pioneered in
abolishment of slavery, Sati
system
 Payment of Zakat – Annual
legal alms
• Modern India (From 1800)
 Raja Ram Mohan Roy – Social
Reformer
 Gandhi – Shifted political
movement as social movement by
including lower castes
 Establishment of TISS in 1936
 100s of social work education
institutions today
 Social Work Education in India
• Introduced by North Americans in 1930s
• India adopted the basic principles of American approaches and models
• The result – TISS in 1936 and Nirmala Niketan College in 1974.
• Social work education is in expansionary route all over India today due to demand for social
workers in NGO and private sector
• Despite 75+ years of social work education history, India is yet to enact its National Bill on
social work, implement a licensure procedure, form a national association to regulate the
professional standards.
• Code of ethics in use – NASW code and the Declaration of TISS3
Nikku, B. R. (2014). Social work education in South Asia: diverse, dynamic and disjointed? In C. Noble, H. Strauss, & B. Littlechild (Eds.), Global
social work: Crossing borders, blurring boundaries (pp. 97–112). Sydney University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1fxm2q.11
3. Goswami, I (2012) Adherence to Ethical Guidelines in Practice by Social Workers: An Empirical Study in India, Practice, 24:2, 105-121, DOI:
10.1080/09503153.2012.671007
 Identifying - Western Social Work Concepts
in
Declaration of TISS (Indian Code of Ethics)

• “The Bhakti movement promoted the value of humanism, that is, every individual has inherent worth and dignity,
irrespective of attributes and achievements” – PERSON CENTRED APPROACH
• “Democracy emphasizes participatory process in the decision” – USER INVOLVEMENT
• Ideology of ‘Sarvodaya’ – values of ‘Swarajya’ and ‘Loknithi’ – “This ideology accepts that people are
knowledgeable about their situation and the ways to manage them, given the necessary resources. It acknowledges
that they have the right to plan their own destinies and determine their life styles” – SELF DETERMINATION
• “The social work profession is committed to solidarity with the marginalized people” - INCLUSION

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (1997) Declaration of Ethics for Professional Social Workers in India, The Indian Journal of Social Work. 58(2).
http://ijsw.tiss.edu/greenstone/cgi-bin/linux/library.cgi?e=d-01000-00---off-0ijsw--00-1----0-10-0---0---0direct-10----2-------0-1l--11-si-50---20-help---00-3-1-00-00--4--0-
-0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&c=ijsw&cl=CL2.4&d=HASH62ab4dd9e7c29b4b322aca
 PEOPLE / CITIZENS / MARGINALIZED PEOPLE

*No Person – Citizens and Non-citizens

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (1997) Declaration of Ethics for Professional Social Workers in India, The Indian Journal of Social Work. 58(2).
http://ijsw.tiss.edu/greenstone/cgi-bin/linux/library.cgi?e=d-01000-00---off-0ijsw--00-1----0-10-0---0---0direct-10----2-------0-1l--11-si-50---20-help---0
 Initiatives for Inclusion

• Government Sector • NGOs and Private Sectors4

 The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
– establishment of Vocational Rehabilitation Self-help groups
Centres including women exclusive centres4
 Unorganised Sector Workers Social Security Act, Training & Employment
2008 – Cover for life and disability and old-age workshops
protection5
 National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 Self-employment for people with
– Rights based approach - 100 days guaranteed disability
employment for people under poverty line5
4. Cobley, David Stephen (2012). Towards economic empowerment for disabled people: exploring the boundaries of the social model of disability in
Kenya and India. University of Birmingham. Ph.D. https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/4050/
5. Pawar, M (2012): The adoption of a rights-based approach to welfare in India, Journal of Comparative Social Welfare, 28:1, 35-47
https://doi.org/10.1080/17486831.2012.636253
 Wall of Barriers

Cobley, David Stephen (2012). Towards economic empowerment for disabled people: exploring the boundaries of the social model
of disability in Kenya and India. University of Birmingham. Ph.D. https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/4050/
 Is there Social Work in India?
YES, theoretically

NO, practically

Then???? We do have Social WORK Services

Anticipating Social WORK in the near future…..

 Social WORK SERVICES
Rules can be ruled out;
Regulations can be ruptured;
Laws can have loop-holes.
But,
Values in us can’t be vanquished; THANK YOU!!
Ethics of us can’t be excised;
Spirit in us can’t be subdued!
So,
While we wait for us to be defined,
We strive to serve our people as un-ordained!

- Hosh Me
 References
 Cobley, David Stephen (2012). Towards economic empowerment for disabled people: exploring the boundaries of the
social model of disability in Kenya and India. University of Birmingham. Ph.D. Retrieved from:
https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/4050/
 Goswami, I (2012) Adherence to Ethical Guidelines in Practice by Social Workers: An Empirical Study in India,
Practice, 24:2, 105-121, DOI: 10.1080/09503153.2012.671007
 Hiwrale, A. (2020) Caste: Understanding the Nuances from Ambedkar’s Expositions. Journal of Social Inclusion
Studies 6(1): 78-96. https://doi.org/10.1177/2394481120944772
 Minimum Wages Guide India https://www.india-briefing.com/news/guide-minimum-wage-india-2021-19406.html/
 Narayan, J; John, D; Ramadas, N (2018). Malnutrition in India: status and government initiatives. Journal of Public
Health Policy. 40 (1): 126–141. doi:10.1057/s41271-018-0149-5. ISSN 0197-5897
 Nikku, B. R. (2014). Social work education in South Asia: diverse, dynamic and disjointed? In C. Noble, H. Strauss, &
B. Littlechild (Eds.), Global social work: Crossing borders, blurring boundaries (pp. 97–112). Sydney University Press.
https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1fxm2q.11
 Pawar, M (2012): The adoption of a rights-based approach to welfare in India, Journal of Comparative Social Welfare,
28:1, 35-47 https://doi.org/10.1080/17486831.2012.636253
 Tata Institute of Social Sciences (1997) Declaration of Ethics for Professional Social Workers in India, The Indian
Journal of Social Work. 58(2).
http://ijsw.tiss.edu/greenstone/cgi-bin/linux/library.cgi?e=d-01000-00---off-0ijsw--00-1----0-10-0---0---0direct-10----2--
-----0-1l--11-si-50---20-help---00-3-1-00-00--4--0--0- 0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&c=
ijsw&cl=CL2.4&d=HASH62ab4dd9e7c29b4b322aca