This document discusses the evolution of social work education in India. It outlines key milestones and developments from the 19th century to present. Some of the major events include the establishment of the first social work school, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, in 1936. The 20th century saw the growth of various social reform movements led by Gandhi that emphasized community development. Formal social work education expanded across India in the mid-20th century with new schools opening. National organizations were formed to coordinate social work education efforts. Government reviews helped standardize curriculum and accreditation processes. Today there are over 200 social work institutions across stages of initiation, experimentation, expansion, and recent explosion in growth.

1. Presented By-
SOHAN
MSW 1st SEM.
Institute of Social Sciences
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar
University, Agra
Evolution of Social Work
Education in India

2. Content
 Introduction
 Historical development of Social Work Education in
India
 19th Century
 20th Century
 Philosophy of Social Work
 Milestone in Indian Social Work Education
 Stages of Social Work Education

3. Introduction
 While social welfare was not unknown in India
through the centuries, social work education is
not indigenous in origin. It was greatly influenced
by the pattern of development of social work
education in the India.
 The formal training in social work was started in
India in 1936 at Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School
of Social Work at Mumbai.
 Now it is a deemed university named ‘Tata Institut
e of Social Sciences (TISS)’.

4. Historical development of Social
Work Education in India
 History of social work in India is as old as the
settlement of civilized society.
 Social work in our country began as an activity ai
med at providing relief to individuals and groups
at the level of basic physical needs of food,
clothing and shelter.
 In addition to these other requirements, the need
for education also increased in India.

5. 19th Century
 The 19th century was not only the time of individual
actions and protest, but it also saw the birth of mov
ements of great vitality. Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj,
Ramkrishna mission and the theosophical society
were founded by the social work education efforts
of the then social reformers.

6. 20th Century
 In the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi ushered in a
social revolution, Sarvodaya movement to achieve
the political transformation of rural India by initiati
ng constructive work in the villages. He focused hi
s attention on the problems of the total rural com
munity as well as on specially disadvantaged grou
ps like women and the untouchables. These progr
ams gave large segments of the population their fi
rst introduction to organized social activities. Gan
dhiji emphasized upon the ‘Nai talim’ to educate, a
ware and mobilize people for building up the
self-sufficient communities.

7. Philosophy of Social Work
The Philosophical assumption underlying the theory
of social work are –
 Each individual, by the very fact of his existance
is the worth.
 Human suffering is understable and should be
prevented, or at least alleriated.
 Social work rejects the assumption servival of the
fittest.
 Public assistance should be based on the concept
of need.
 All classes of persons in the community have an e
qual right to the social services.

8. Year Milestone Importance
1936 Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
Mumbai
First institution for Social Work
Education
1947 Indian Conference of Social Work
(ICSW)
Formulated Social Work curriculum
1948 J.K, Institute of Sociology, Ecology an
d Human Relations, Lucknow.
Delhi School of Social Work in 1948.
First school of social work in
Central & Northern India
1949 Baroda School of Social Work now as
The Faculty of Social Work, Baroda.
First school of social work in
Western India
1952 Madras School of Social Work,
Chennai in (then Madras).
First school of social work in South
India
Milestone in Indian Social Work Education

9. Year Milestone Importance
1959 Association of Schools of Social W
ork in India (ASSWI)
It was the only pan Indian body
connecting social work institutions
across India. Now non- functional
1965
Published
University Grants Commission (UG
C), Government of India First Revie
w Committee on Social Work
Education.
Report titled as- Social Work
Education in Indian Universities
1968 1st Encyclopaedia of Social Work i
n India
The Planning Commission, Govern
ment of India. In 3 volumes mappe
d the concepts of Social Work.
1975
Commissi
oned
1980
submitted
UGC’s second review committee Report Titled as- Review of Social
work Education in India: Retrospect
and Prospect. Social Action, Social
Policy and Social welfare administr
ation papers introduced.

10. Year Milestone Importance
2000 National Curriculum Reframe Ex
ercise and The Third National Re
view of Social Work Education,
UGC, New Delhi.
Guidelines in offering subjects and
credits.
2003 National Assessment and Accred
itation Council (NAAC) -“Self
study manual for social work
institutions”.
Criteria of assessment and accredit
ation. Minimum and quality
standards in social work education.
2012 National Network of Schools of
Social Work.
Revival of ASSWI since it has
become defunct and to bring
standardization in social work
education across the country.

11. Year Milestone Importance
1987 2nd Encyclopaedia of Social
Work in India
Ministry of Welfare,Government
of India. Five Volumes on
varies social work themes and
agencies.
1986 Curriculum development centre
at TISS, Mumbai.
Stand alone centre to plan,
review and to promote social
work education in India
1990 Report of the curriculum develop
ment centre in social work
education, UGC, New Delhi.
Proposed model curriculum
1997 Declaration of Ethics of
Professional Social work
Indian Journal of Social work.

12. Stages of Social Work Education
Social work education can be categorized into various stages
namely:-
• Initiation/Inception (1936-46): It is denoted by establishment of Sir
Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work established in 1936 an
d now called as Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
• Experimentation (1947- 56): In this Phase, Delhi School of Social
Work, Kashi Vidhyapith, Gujarat Vidhyapith and similar other instituti
ons were established.
• Expansion (1957-76): In this phase, many social work educational i
nstitutions in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Tamilnadu and ot
her states were established and there was expansion in terms of nu
mber of institutions across the length and breadth of the country.

13. • Moderation/stagnation (1977-86): Unlike expansion phase, in this
period not see many new social work educational institutions in the
country.
• Explosion (1987 till date): This phase crossed the 200 mark in ter
ms of social work institutions in India.

14. Bibliography
 Origin and Development of Social Work in India.
School of Social Work Indira Gandhi National Open University,
New Delhi.