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For many years India has worked on establishing a democratic decentralised system of local government with the intention of devolving political and administrative powers to the people. The system of local government is called Panchayati Raj, and it has existed for many decades. However, it has undergone several reforms - the latest of which took place in 1992 and resulted in a constitutional amendment act. The members of the local-governments in the Panchayati Raj system of 1992 have ended their first five-year term. With the evolution of the reforms in mind and the political intentions manifest, it is interesting to focus on the essential aspect of the local governments - peoples' involvement in local government and how they respond to the opportunity of running their own affairs. This chapter takes a close-up of popular participation in ~cal government in India. It reviews the evolution of India's system of local government, and, in order to illustrate some of the complexities concerning popular participation in local government, it presents the results of a specific case study . The study was carried out by the author in the state of Karnataka, in South India, in the summer of 1998. Kamataka was the first Indian state to introduce a system of decentralised government according to the 1992 amendment act. It was also the first state to implement the policy of one third of the seats being reserved for females in all local bodies.
Karnataka has a hoary past. The prehistoric culture of Karnataka viz., the Hand-axe culture, compares favourably with the one that existed in Africa and is quite distinct from the pre-historic culture of North India. The ragi grain is found commonly in pre-historic sites of Africa and Karnataka. Parts of Karnataka were subject to the rule of the Nandas and the Mauryas. Fourteen Ashokan (10 minor and 4 major) Rock Edicts found in Karnataka (two each at Nittur and Udagolam in Bellary district; one at Maski in Raichur district; one each at Gavimutt and Palkigundu in Koppal district; one each at Brahmagiri, Jattinga Rameshwara and Siddapura in Chitradurga district; and four at Sannati in Gulbarga district) testify to the extent of the Mauryan Empire. The Shatavahanas(circa 30 8.C to 230 AD.) of Paithan have also ruled over extensive areas in Northern Karnataka; some scholars even argue that this dynasty hailed from Karnataka , as in early times, Dharwad and Bellary districts were called Satavahanihara (or the Satavahana region). Some of their rulers were called kings of Kuntala. At Sannati in Gulbarga district, Vadgaon- Madhavpur near Belgaum and Brahmagiri in Chitradurga district, remains of their period have been found. Banavasi in Uttara Kannada has an inscription of their queen, and at Vasana in Nargund Tq. remains of a brick temple of Shaiva order are noticed. Later, Karnataka fell into the hands of the Pallavas of Kanchi and the Chutu Satakarnis, the Shatavahana feudatories, ruling from Banavasi after the fall of the Shatavahanas, also seem to have accepted the overlordship of the Pallavas.
 SR Hiremath is known in as the man who brought down a politically powerful mining mafia. His full story is even more inspiring: It tells of a bright boy who overcame crushing poverty to become a high-ranking corporate professional in the US, only to relinquish all comforts to return to India and crusade against corruption and champion rural regeneration.
With files and sheets of paper scattered all around, the small room in a lodge in the Majestic area looks hardly impressive. Clad in simple clothing, its elderly inhabitant seems at peace here. You may be forgiven for assuming he is a retired government official fighting cases to get his pending dues. For 67- year-old SR Hiremath has indeed been a tireless fighter of cases, except he has been doing it on behalf of the public. Abstract
This paper is based upon primary, secondary data, review of literatures and own field observation. It accumulated our past and present experiences in social development sector. While we were student of social work we found some isstes related to parenting/ responsibilities of fatherhood for a healthy family, child support etc. during field practicum. Similarly, during professional carrier we gather so many information from the fields through unstructured interviews with school going and non-school going children (age 10-19/20 years old), parents / care givers/ guardians on 'concepts of fatherhood, 'Role of father in a family; 'child support' etc. This paper attempts to explore that the ideal father is a person involved in childcare, who sacrifices himself (like the mother) placing more value on bringing up the child and spending time with him/her than on his own goals and life aspirations. More realistic expectations require that the father should provide psychological support, care and security, and take decisions concerning the child. In their own and their wives' opinion, however; fathers more often take the responsibility for participating in shared pleasures, transportation (driving/fetching children to/from kindergarten, school, after-school activities), more rarely for going for walks or doing homework. It also focuses on the rationale of national policy on family in India and the United Nations Commissions for Child Rights (UNCRC). At the same time this paper has suggested some recommendations to overcome the issues regarding fatherhood and rights of child. Key Words: Fatherhood, Rights of Child, Child Support, Care, Security As I picked up Sri Shankar Pathakji's book "Social Work And Social Welfare" my thoughts ran down memory lane, to the time when I left my college in 1974 with an incomplete masters in social work behind me. I had my own reasons way back then, even as just an eighteen year old, for not completing the MSW-because I felt that much of what they taught us in theory had absolutely none or very little relevance to reality, and within me began a rebellion to book learning of social work, and I left following my craving to be in the field. So when Ramesh and shri.Pathakji asked me to be a part of to days programme, I asked myself over and over again if they had made a mistake, and if I was the right person to be given the task for which I stand before you today. Of course I had not read the book at that time. Now that I have read it, let me say that had I been asked to study this book perhaps 35years ago, in 1974, I would have completed my MSW without questioning the relevance of theoretical knowledge - knowledge such as what I gained in this book, that would have lent itself to strengthening my practical. social activism quest. Anyway, it is not I too late and I therefore thank you Sir, Sri Shankar Pathakji and Ramesh for giving me this golden opportunity to become a student, to feel empowered by relevant knowledge one has learnt reading this absolutely revealingly written and brilliantly documented book. I also bow in salutation to one we have all revered as our role model icon, shri. Doreswamyji, and completely humbled, stand before as one in awe.
"Sahitya - Samaja Sangama" is an excellent felicitation volume in honour of Prof.Shekhar Pujar, an avantgarde, multifaceted personality. A professional social worker, creative writer, poet, singer, theatre artist, researcher, teacher, and mentor; Prof. Pujar is a rare combination of all these roles. He is the first Indian social work scholar to explore the intersection between folklore and social work. In a country with the majority of the population being rural and tribal, oral tradition of the people has not been given due recognition by social scientists and social work professionals neither in research nor in practice. Prof.Pujar's research study and the book "Social Work in Kannada Folk Songs" are pioneering efforts by a tenacious scholar without a research guide and against vicissitudes which do not merit mention here.
I have known Dr. S.F. Pujar for a year and a half. Majestic in personality, composed in thoughts and combination of both literary and social endeavours is a rich source of knowledge to the students. He is a person of simple living and noble thinking.
Once I was invited to the Department of Social Work for inaugural function of social work association where I listened to his speech for the first time. Further all the senior students who were well aware of Dr. Pujar's multifaceted personality, pleaded him to sing a song. He obliged and sang, "Giri Giri Gindi Ibatti Undi" I was delighted and thrilled about a person above seventy years keeps such a great grip and enthusiasm. It cautioned me of my future life and I addressed myself, "if you live above seventy live like Dr. Pujar and build a robust health and happy life. Children of prisoners in general do not enjoy any special rights. Children's needs are not considered when a parent is sent to prison. When this happens the child's life might be turned upside dov n. Whether people who are arrested or stand trial are parents or not is not a big issue in criminal law. Also, given prison inmates' legal position, their family ties are scarcely recognised. For the public at large, prisoners in the first place are lawbreakers. It is difficult to picture them as mothers and fathers who might want to care for their children. So, the children are, in a way in double jeopardy: they lose out on being parented and they are confronted with stigma and neglect.
Advocacy for the protection of child rights and its importance in the present scenario and advocacy measures to promote child rights.
Paper presented at the National Seminar on "Human Rights Advocacy: An Avenuefor Social Change" 25th and 26th September 2012, Dept of Social Work, St. Aloysius College (Autonomous), Mangalore Abstract This paper introduces the Indian situation in which advocacy for the protection of child rights is relevant. It focuses on the need for application of social work principles and methods in advocating for child rights to bring about changes in practices at the grassroots level interventions and in social policy and legislation. By practice, it is established that social policy and legislation is extremely important to en-sure that benefits reach the needy. Added to it, advocacy measures or movements are necessary to guard that the state does not abdicate itself from its responsibilities, inspite of having social welfare policies and programmes. Malnutrition has been plaguing India's children for decades, and even during the recent periods of 'shining' growth. The situation in Karnataka is very similar to the national picture. When the statistics are revealed through studies and surveys, or when starvation deaths among children are reported, there is much breast-beating and strident calls for action. Then, as surely as the uproar rises, it dies down. It is just the flavour of the moment and the government, the media and the public continue business as usual.
The first relief and rehabilitation work by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) can be traced back to 1948 when, after Partition, a batch of students worked in the refugee camps in Kurukshetra.
Excerpts from the interview of a former student, who was part of the second batch on the Deonar campus and later went on to head the institute, reveal that back then students took a "rattle truck bus", run by a private individual, to go to Sion. "The footboard was so weak that we afraid we would fall. We had to climb in somehow and get to Sion if we couldn't catch the institute bus, says professor Armaity Desai as she reminiscences about her student days. That Karnataka desperately needs a rural development strategy is amply clear from two recently released reports. The Census 2011 report on the state population highlights the enormous migration deluge into Bangalore and other cities. The other report 'Injury and Violence in India: Facts and Figures', jointly authored by NIMHANS and WHO, provides a stark picture on the increasing number of suicides in cities due to high levels of stress experienced by people, especially teenagers and women. The rapid deterioration in the standard of living in cities across Kamataka should compel the state government to map out a comprehensive rural development strategy that will boost job creation and development in rural areas while ending migration into cities.
Disadvantaged Rural Communities
'Farming is becoming an unreliable livelihood. Failure of crops shattered my hope. Could not repay the loan; instead interest and interest-on-interest increased which came to a point where I could not at all repay it. Gone are the olden days where there was mutual support and concern in our villages. Now no one can help anybody during distress. This economic orphanhood combined with social orphanhood pushed me to Bangalore - the only option for the survival of my family', this is the statement of 45 year old Parasappa who has migrated to Bangalore and is now working as a construction worker here. In India, around 13 to 14 per cent of all School Children suffer from Specific Learning Disability as per 2000-2001 censuses of India statistics. The disability is acquired during the pregnancy itself. But it will come to light only after 2 years of birth. Early detection, regular treatment and good family support play a crucial role in dealing with this problem. If it is not so, it will be prolonged throughout their life cycle.
 The venerable Dr. D. Veerendra Heggadeji is a personification of benevolence and altruism. The 'Dharmadhikari' of Dharmasthala is a leader, philanthropist, educationist, Social Reformer, and an emissary of art and culture.
Veerendra Heggadeji's first major act upon becoming Dharmadhikari was to realise his father's dream by completing the carving and installation of the Bahubali statue at Dharmastala. ETHICAL CONSEQUENCES OF USING SOCIAL NETWORK SITES FOR STUDENTS IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMS4/3/2020 Abstract
The use of Web 2.0 media such as Facebook and Myspace by social work students can result in unanticipated ethical dilemmas. This paper identifies potential areas of concern related to unprofessional behaviors, conflicts of interest, and protecting confidentiality of clients, colleagues, instructors, and agencies as students interact on social network sites. Key Words: Ethics, Social Work, Social Network Sites, Internet, Web 2.0. Abstract
Psychological Competence has a bearing on well-being of older persons and it has positive association with life satisfaction of the elderly. An attempt has been made in this paper to discuss the significance of psychological competence with reference to coping strategies adopted by the elderly and its implication for their life satisfaction and well-being. KeyWords: Psychological Competence, Coping Strategies, Life Satisfaction, Psychological Distress, Gerontological Social Work INTRODUCTION
Suicide in most of the religions is considered as a sin and result of an act against almighty's will. It is the extreme decision and result of an act deliberately initiated and performed by a person in the full knowledge or expectation of its fatal outcome. Suicide leaves behind a series of adverse consequences to the sufferer and their near and dear ones for life long. In many countries it comes under preview of strong social stigma and lots of social control measures have been taken to control it, thus it has been strongly discouraged in many religions. Life of all creatures especially human is wonderful gift and thus any act directed to destroy it, with full knowledge of its fatal outcome, cannot be justified on any ground. It is now a major public health problem. Taken as an average of 53 countries, for which complete data is available, the standardized suicide age rate for 1996 was 15.1 per 100, 000. The rate for males was 24.0 per 100,000 and for females 6.8 per 100,000. The rate of sucide is almost universally higher among men compared to women by an aggregate ratio of 3.5 to 1. With regard to gender, the suicide rates are seen higher among men than women.  THE PERFECT SETTING
The Sumangali Seva Ashram (SSA), headed by Susheelamma, sprawls across a one-acre piece of land in Cholanayakanahalli, on the outskirts of Bangalore, near Hebbal, Bengaluru. The large well attended compound exudes an aura of peace. Along the cobbled pathway, is a picturesque hillock with a temple, a meditation hut to the left and to the right a circular open pavilion for visitors. The ashram, entirely managed by women, is filled with the happy laughter of children and the chirping of birds. Women manage all the finances and activities of this-huge complex. They tend to the ashram cattle, the garden, the school, the hostels and the training centre. But behind each bright face is a story of pain, suffering and rejection by society. Introduction:
Caste in India is an important feature of all economic and social activities. Estimated to be around 25000 years old, the caste system has undergone various transformations from ancient verna system to contemporary jati system (Deshpande, 2005). Over the period society has grew more complex, the presence of conventional caste system is still predominant in social, economic and political behavior of people. In the market economy framework, the caste continue to restrict the mobility of people belonging to lower caste in various markets such as land, labour, credit and services necessary for economic activity. The division of labour on the basis of their caste is one of the fundamental functions of caste system. Due to long exclusion & deprivation of various social, political, civic and economic rights make the labour class belonging to lower caste vulnerable to various caste based discriminations. Need for Psycho-Social Interventions among Adolescents: (Present Perspectives and Future Prospect)4/3/2020 Introduction
The word Adolescence is Latin in origin, derived from the word “adolescere”, which means, “to grow into adulthood.” “In all societies adolescence is a time of growing up, of moving from the immaturity of childhood into the maturity of adulthood, of participation for the future.” Adolescence is a period of transitions, biological, psychological, social and economic and from immaturity into maturity which occur universally; virtually without exception. Some of these passages are long and some are short; some are smooth and others are rough. And not occur at the same time. The fundamental challenges of adolescence which gives the period its special flavor and significance are onset of puberty, emergence of more advanced thinking abilities and transition into new roles in society. (Paul.D et al: 2006). Problems and stress among adolescents Although the changes during this stage are natural, some adolescents do develop maladaptive coping skills in accepting the developmental challenges. Therefore, this stage is also known as period of storm and stress. Problems of adolescents are increasing day by day in the present Indian society due to the impact of modernization and westernization and perhaps because of lack of proper guidance. Stressful experiences and efforts to cope with stress are central to understanding psychological distress and psychopathology during adolescence. Stress emerges for young people as they enter adolescence, a transition that brings rapid socio-emotional changes. The stress being experienced by teenagers can be classified as body change, family stress, peer stress, romantic relationship stress, school stress, and neighborhood stress. Unmanaged stress is effecting on an adolescent’s long term physical and mental well-being and been disrupting an adolescent’s capacity to handle the demands of daily life. Social Workers works on the community level - including community development, grass root organizing, political advocacy and so on. Providing services to communities while providing education and training for social work practice in the communities, is at the core focus point. In order to fulfill a commitment to the community concept, students need a well defined concept individual, group and community practice in order to provide the range and quality of services that are required for social work practice in the 21 st century global community paradigm.
In recent years. the country has been a witness to the rapid growth of regionalism, casteism and communalism. Since these pose a very grave threat to the country's integrity and also to the laboring masses ID terms of their livelihood, social action is often addressed as the only solution to making the poor and the marginalized aware of their rights.
Social Development means evenly shared balanced progress of entire populations towards enhancement of the circumstances ofliving, the quality of life and the quality of human relations. If the idea of sustainability, which is the idea of the day, is inculcated then social development should also meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  Dr. T.S. Chandrashekara Faculty, Dept. of Social Work, Kristu Jayanthi College ABSTRACT
Any learning to be permanent has to be based on practice. It is the practice, and the knowledge that comes from it, develops and even testifies the theories. It is argued that theory is the base for practice and also equally it is argued that practice is the base for theory. However I feel both are necessary; a sound theory can provide good inputs (specially in terms of knowledge) for effective practice and good practice can make theories more relevant. The author in this paper attempts to brief on how social work is a practice based learning specially highlighting how the theoretical knowledge has been effectively put into practice and how the practice has made the theories of social work appropriate and contributing for modification whenever required.  Dr. H M Marulasiddaiah Former Prof. & Head, Department of Social Work, Bangalore University To open the discussion on this quite exciting topic, 'Exploitation of man by man', we may put a question thus: "who else can exploit man other than the man himself?" For, the insects and the reptiles cannot, the birds and the animals cannot, and certainly not the inanimate elements of nature can exploit man.
'Exploitation' negatively means making use of factors & forces for one's own ends expressed in various ways enslaving, killing, taking bribes, robbing, threatening with dire consequences, deceiving, immoral trafficking, using things recklessly, etc. Further, exploitation may be understood from two viewpoints-the positive or constructive, and the negative or destructive: in two ways - the direct and the indirect; and may be applied in two areas-the physical world and the human society. Exploitation is understood, by and large, here in the negative view point. |
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