Seven Decades of Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Sir Dorabjee Graduate School of Social Work which was established in 1936 became Tata Institute of Social Sciences after about 4 years. The reasons for change of name is not known, though this may be available in the TISS records. While the name of the institution was changed, the name of the journal published by TISS remained unchanged,an anamoly which needs to be corrected. It is time-after the 2006 major restructuring of TISS, that the name of the journal should also be changed to the “Indian Journal of Social Sciences” (Incorporating the Indian Journal of Social Work).

Sir Dorabjee Graduate School of Social Work which was established in 1936 became Tata Institute of Social Sciences after about 4 years. The reasons for change of name is not known, though this may be available in the TISS records. While the name of the institution was changed, the name of the journal published by TISS remained unchanged,an anamoly which needs to be corrected. It is time-after the 2006 major restructuring of TISS, that the name of the journal should also be changed to the “Indian Journal of Social Sciences” (Incorporating the Indian Journal of Social Work).

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Sir Dorabjee Tata Graduate School of Social Work as the name indicated, was established to provide training to those who intended to work in the field of Social Work. It was a 2 years Post Graduate Diploma course, not affiliated to any university, a deliberate decision. Even after the change of name, TISS continued to provide training only in Social Work, with later addition of Personnel Management and Industrial Relations, and criminology and Correctional Administration. Tribal Welfare was introduced some years later and discontinued.1*
1*. Health Administration Diploma/Degree Courses were also introduced

In 1965 TISS became a deemed university and thus became a part of the higher education system university degree awarding, U.G.C regulated educational institution. While  M.A degree was awarded in Social Work and Personnel Management, no other degree course was started even after the establishment of research units in family, youth, urban studies and education, which led to the recruitment of Social Scientists as heads and staff of these units (during the decade of 1970). From the beginning i.e.1936 there were only social scientists (with the exception of the founding director 2*) as teachers, which was perhaps inevitable. During 1946-47 a visiting teacher from U.S.A came to TISS and taught a course on Social Case Work. Subsequently two TISS alumni (G.R.Banerjee and N.F Kaikobad) were deputed to universities in U.S.A to study Professional Social Work. On their return courses on methods and fields of Social Work were introduced. Also Dr.M.V.Moorthy a teacher (Sociologist) was sent to Chicago University to study Personnel Management –a brief 6 month certificate course. On his return Personnel Management was added to Labour Welfare and became a specialization course. Changes that were introduced, during 1946-48 led to a gradual professionalization of teachers and courses, especially specializations. While these changes took place, there was no internal structural change. It is worth noting that there was no administrative sanctioned, creation of departments with the designation of Head Dept. But an internal structural change took place- by an individual teacher`s action. Dr A.M. Lorenzo, an economist, was teaching research methods and statistics- a compulsory course. Perhaps he also taught a course on economics-to the Labour. Personnel Management specialization students, Dr Lorenzo began to use the designation Head. Dept. in official correspondence (this was told to me personally by Dr M.V.Moorthy). Other teachers followed this example. This is on record in a note prepared by the then Director, M.S Gore for the TISS. Review Committee –that there was no administrative sanction for the creation of departments.
2*. He had some exposure to industrial urban neighbor-hood social work in Chicago and   Bombay.

The “disconnect” or “tension” between social work faculty and social science faculty may be traced to the 1947-48 changes referred above. Perhaps, it was there even earlier but I am not aware of it. The disharmony or tension became noticeable during the decade of 1970`s , after the creation of research units,  preceded by the deemed university status. The latter development led to enforcement of UGC norms in recruitment and promotion of teachers. The social work faculty found themselves at a disadvantage-without Ph.D.s and without opportunities to acquire them-because of their teaching, field work supervision and field visits responsibilities. The social science faculty, on the other hand, had the required academic degrees but had no contact with students with occasional exceptions. As was told to me by a senior social work faculty of TISS (who had Post Graduate degrees/diploma both in sociology and social work) social science courses began to be added to M.A Social Work, to provide opportunity for teaching to the social science faculty. I do not intend to verify, scrutinise or analyse this statement except to record it. The relationship between social work faculty and social science faculty became “disharmonious” and it led  P.Ramachandran to write an article which was published in the Indian Journal of Social Work (Ramachandran 1983). At a different level I myself made a reference to this in a keynote address to a seminar organised by A.S.S.W.I in 1986 (Pathak 1987). M.S Gore referred to it as “dynamic tension” between social science and social work faculty, at the plenary opening session of TISS. Golden Jubilee celebration in 1985. Whether it was dynamic or debilitating is a matter of opinion.
Far reaching internal changes at the level of courses, constituent teaching units and administrative positions have been carried out in 2006. Now T.I.S.S offers 17+1 degree courses in social work, social sciences, human resource management, health administration, habitat policy and some more in other areas. There are five schools, three independent centres and three outside campuses. After this restructuring social work faculty constitute 22 per cent of the total faculty strength and students of social work (including students of three M.A course) constitute 34 per cent of the total student strength. Structural change, perhaps, was inevitable and long overdue, following the deemed university status and introduction of social science research units. There may be different reactions to the structural changes by the alumni, the faculty, and the management of TISS. What has happened is a unique, unparalleled phenomenon, where the original entity-the whole becomes a part of itself –recovering the original name (in part, deleting the prefix Sir Dorabjee Tata Graduate) as a School of Social Work after 70 years.  We may recall the “reverse” merger of ICICI and IDBI merging with their subsidiaries to become banks. Here a school changes its name, then the status and then its defining identity which lasted a long period of 70 years. The Platinum Jubilee Celebration, in fact, is two celebrations- Platinum Jubilee of Sir Dorabjee Tata Graduate School of Social Work and Seven Decades of Tata Institute of Social Sciences. The new schools and independent centres will be celebrating their 5th anniversary! Sometime in the very distant future, there may be another major structural change, by appropriate passing of legislation; the word “deemed” may be deleted followed by new designations-Chancellor, Vice-chancellor, Rector and Dean etc.

References 

1. Pathak. Shankar, Social Development and Social work Education-some unresolved issues in H.Y.Siddiqui and R.K.Nayak. 
2. Ramachandran P-Social Scientists, Social Work Education and practice-some deflections. Indian Journal of Social Work. January 1983. 

Shankar Pathak
Rtd Professor Delhi University