My Experience as a Resource Person in December 2024

Assam University, Silchar: My Experience as a Resource Person in December 2024

(Dr Shankar Chatterjee)

As a resource person, I (Shankar Chatterjee) delivered four talks on various issues of Research Methodology on December 6 and 7, 2024, to the students and research scholars of Assam University, Silchar. The Department of Social Work of the University organised the 2-day workshop. Shankar Chatterjee was the only resource person. It is pertinent to mention that the Department of Social Work runs 4-Year Under Graduate (FYUG)/Five Year Integrated Course in Social Work under National Education Policy 2020. The Department of Social Work started its journey in July 1997 to provide better quality Social Work Education, especially in North East India, to prepare committed professional social workers that can contribute purposefully and meaningfully in the region. It sets standards for working with vulnerable and marginalized people to attain equity, equality, social justice, and human rights at local, national, and international levels. Since then, the department has grown in its strength and activity across the region. The Department’s main objective is to prepare social work professionals to respond to social change, welfare, and development needs at various levels through practice and research-based teaching. The alumni of the department work for various reputed national and international organizations in India and abroad.

The course curriculum is designed as per National Education Policy 2022, prescribed by the UGC. It offers papers of special interest in Family and Child Welfare, Rural Development, Tribal Development, Psychosocial Counselling, NGO management, microfinance and Livelihood, Dynamics of Human behaviour, etc. The Department also runs Ph.D Programme, where the thrust of the current research endeavours in areas like Social Work Education, Healthcare, Reproductive and Child Health Programme (RCH), Sex Education, HIV/ AIDS, ICDS Services, Panchayati Raj, Non-Governmental Organizations, Women in Unorganized Sector, Domestic Violence, Self Help Groups, Corporate Voluntarism, Water and Sanitation, Disaster Management, Psychosocial problems of Elderly, Cancer, Street children, Persons with Disability, etc. The Department of Social Work runs UG (BSW), PG (MSW) and Ph. D. programmes. The total number of students in the department is around 250, and Research Scholars are around 60. The number of Faculty Members is 14. Regarding the university, a few points collected from secondary sources, namely www.aus.ac.in/ and Wikipedia, are presented here.

The University existed in 1994 after the Assam (Central) University Act 1989 was enacted. Assam University’s main campus is at Dargakona, about 20 kilometres from Silchar. The campus is set amid sprawling hillocks and a typical landscape of the northeast. The campus is spread over 600 acres and provides an ideal academic environment. The other university campus is at Diphu in the district of Karbi Anglong, Assam. The university has sixteen schools that offer humanities, languages, environmental sciences, information sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, law, technology, and management studies. There are 42 departments under these sixteen schools. The five districts under the jurisdiction of Assam University have 73 undergraduate colleges as of March 31 2020. Assam University is an institutional signatory to the Global Universities Network for Innovation (GUNI), Barcelona and United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) for its commitment to educational social responsibilities. The main campus has an area of 600 acres. The campus is 20 kilometres south of Silchar city. The University is located in a hilly area with greenery. Five hostels for girls and four hostels for boys are available on campus. In Diphu, Karbi Anglong district of Assam, there is a campus spread over 90 acres, about nine kilometres away from Diphu, Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Anyway, the University’s main campus (Silchar) provides bus service to various places, including bus services from Silchar to Hailakandi. There are also private services available in the area.     Assam University was ranked 93rd in the university category by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of 2021.

The University has territorial jurisdiction over the five districts of Assam viz., Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Dima Hasao (erstwhile North Cachar Hills), and Karbi Anglong. The university also has 77 affiliated colleges.  The University keeps itself abreast of the latest developments in the knowledge domain and is working on its mission to develop high-quality human resources with complete focus. The present Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rajive Mohan Pant, whom I have known for many years, is an erudite scholar.  As mentioned, the 2-day workshop was organised by the University’s Department of Social Work. In the inaugural function, which took place forenoon on December 6, the recently published book (37th Book) on Educational Institutions by Shankar Chatterjee was released.  In the inaugural function, Professor Asok Sen, Vice Chancellor (in charge); Professor Tarun Bikash Sukai, Head of the Department of Social Work; Professor Subhabrata Dutta and Dr. (Mrs) Ritwika Rajendra, Assistant Professor of Social Work, spoke about the various issues and importance of the workshop.  The Workshop was organised under the leadership of Prof. Subhabrata Dutta as Convenor and supported by the team comprised of  Dr. Ritwika Rajendra as Co-Convenor, Dr. Kaivalya Desai as Coordinator and Dr. Lalzo S. Thangjom as Co- Coordinator. The anchor of the workshop was Ms. Charmi Haque. More than one hundred students of different categories pursuing Post-graduation, Ph. D.  irrespective of castes, religions, and genders attended.

(Dr Shankar Chatterjee is a former Professor & Head (CPME), NIRD & PR, Hyderabad, India)