INDIAN SOCIAL SCIENCE ACADEMY


(Registered under Society Registration Act 21 of 1860)

ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2021-22

Hon. President, Officer Bearers, EC Members and Members!

Being the General Secretary, it is my pleasant duty to present Annual Report of 2021-22 on behalf of Executive Councilbefore the General Body of ISSA. Needless to acknowledge that the Medical Science and Health Workers have done their best when the world has been facing unprecedented pandemic since 2020 with variance of symptoms and spread. India is not an exception. Indian Social Science Academy (ISSA) has also been facing multiple hurdles and therefore, its working got affected. We all know that the ISSA endeavours andpursues to discover, unfold and dissemination Science, which is social. Towards this objective ISSA engages itself in many activities for humanitarian democracy with self-reliance and inherent task of building a cohesive plural society with science for nature-human-society.


New Executive Council has been put in place after successful completion of election by the Returning Officer and subsequent approval of outgoing Executive Council and General Body in its meeting at Samrat Ashok Technological Institute (SATI) Vidisha, M.P. ISSA received an offer from B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology (BSARCIST) to host the 45th Indian Social Science Congress (ISSC) at Vandalur, Chennai. The President and General Secretary visited host institution for assessing the infrastructure and venue for hosting the 45th ISSC and placed their observations before the Executive Council for its consideration and approval. The Executive Council considered the proposal and approved the invitation of BSARCIST for hosting the 45th Indian Social Science Congress. Now, we are here at BSARCIST for critical and creative deliberations. We all must be enjoying warmth of hospitality and deliberations.


ISSA has largely been built up with membership and contribution of Hon’ble Members. However, Indian Social Science Academy does receive partial grants from various Central agencies, such as, UGC to host institution, ICSSR, ICAR, NIEPA, ICMR, ICPR, DST, MoES, etc. Unfortunately we could not secure grants for last three years from the UGC for technical reasons. Sometime our host institutions do not possess 12-B status and therefore, the UGC did not release the grants. Earlier we got grants from UGC, ICSSR, ICAR, NIEPA, ICMR, ICPR, DST, MoES, etc.


Despite financial constraints, Indian Social Science Academy has been marching ahead. The 44th Indian Social Science Congress was held at Samrat Ashok Technological Institute, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. Due to Corona pandemic, President of ISSA could not attend physically. President-elect too could not attend. Both made their presence online. Still, the 44th Indian Social Science Congress was successful and participants returned with satisfaction as the host was very generous in hospitality.


The General Body resolved ‘Environment and Health’ as focal theme for the deliberation in the 45th Indian Social Science Congress. Later Energy has been included on the suggestion of the host. Therefore this Congress is deliberating upon ‘Environment, Energy and Health’. Initially, the date for congress was fixed from Feb. 28 to March 04, 2022 but later on, in view of pandemic the date was shifted to March 28 to April 01, 2022. We are herewith our esteemed guest and fellow delegates in the campus of at BSARCIST Vandalur. Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Professor A. Peer Mohamed, with his dedicated and vibrant team, has taken keen interest for making the Congress a grand success. Local Organising Secretary Professor T Harinarayana has been working active with his team.


We all know that the functioning of ISSA was badly affected due to pandemic, still whatever collective works could be done, is summarised here briefly as follows:

  1. Indian Social Science Congress
  2. State Social Science Academies and State Social Science Congresses
  3. Young Scientists Division and All India Young Scientists Convention
  4. Research Centres
    1. Rural Development Study Centre
    2. Survey Research Centre
    3. Silver Jubilee Peoples Centre for Theoreticaland Policy Research
  5. National Science Translation Centre
  6. Publication of Journals and Newsletters
    1. BharatiyaSamajik Chintan (English Quarterly)
    2. SamayikSamajik Chintan (Hindi Quarterly)
    3. Social Science Abstracts (Annual)
  7. Publication of Books and Monographs

1. INDIAN SOCIAL SCIENCE CONGRESS

The Executive Council in its meetings has taken many decisions to streamline and facilitate the 45th Indian Social Science Congress. It has appointed outstation and local Chairpersons and conveners for Research Committees and Interdisciplinary Thematic Panels, and constituted National Academic Advisory Committee. A printed brochure has been brought out about the details of such preparatory decisions. ISSA got very encouraging response from participants from all over the country. ISSA has also applied to various agencies for funding supports. We are yet to receive any grants. We collectively met Secretary, UGC also but still waiting for positive results to come. Indian Social Science Academy suggested its members to organise pre-Congress symposia. Because of pandemic no significant responses came except one by Brig. P. Ganesham under the banner of Palle Srujana.


2. State Social Science Academy

Bihar Social Science Academy is going to organise its 2nd Congress on April 30 to May 01, 2022. SATI, Vidisha has made some efforts to start M.P. Social Science Academy, besides these initiatives, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, have also been putting their efforts to form and revive regional Social Science Academy.Hopefully, Tamil Social Science Academy may also be started very soon.


3. Young Scientists Convention

Despite having sincere intentionand efforts to organise Young Scientists Convention, it could not be held effectively after convention of Bhubneshwar. Hopefully, 2022 will be encouraging. B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology will be able to break the inertia.


4. Research Centres

All the three Research Centres of ISSA have remained almost non-functional. Major problems are two: a) non-availability of dedicated competent Hon. Directorsand 2) lack of basic financial resources and infrastructure.Last year EC assigned Dr. N. P. Chaubey to initiate some activities for Silver Jubilee Peoples Centre for Theoretical and Policy Research.


5. National Science Translation Centre

The Executive Council (2019-20) appointed Prof. V. Jagannath as the Hon. Director of National Science Translation Centre and formed an advisory committee. But till date the NSTC has not started functioning. It remind still non-functional.


6. Publication of Journals and News Letters

The EC had appointed Dr. Vikas Gupta as the Editor of BharatiyaSamajik Chintan one year ago to revive this journal. It may take some more time toreviveBharatiyaSamajik Chintan. This matter has been placed many timesearlier also before the EC for attention before Dr Gupta took over the charge. However, Social Science Abstracts, Vol. XLV, 2021-22 has been printed. Presidential Address to XLV ISSC too has been printed.


7. Publication of Books and Monographs

The volume on ‘Human Future in Digital Era’ is before the readers. It has been published by ISSA and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology jointly. Needless to mention that Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) has born partial expenditure of publication of this volume on the condition that the sale proceeds will be shared between ISSA and KIT.

The volumes on ‘Current Science Research and Theory’and ‘University Education System’ will hopefully come out subsequently.

This in brief is about what we have been able to do during 2021-22.

ISSA has been facing two major problems.

  1. Financial.
  2. Non-availability of adequate number of dedicated members.
  3. External challenges and increasing restrictions on grants and enabling environment

We need to deliberate upon all these in order to seek solutions. ISSA has been facing financial crises. It has not been possible to secure grants from UGC, and other central agencies except a few. As a result, it has been difficult to meet even modest salaries for the limited number of staff. ISSA has not been in a position to keep regular staff and pay them salaries with social securities, dearness and other allowances. Needless to mention that effective management of Headquarters need adequate efficient manpower and the General Secretary is expected to work honorary from headquarter of ISSA. The General Secretary from outside Allahabad will have to be provided free stay, travel and transport. Alternatively, a camp secretariat is required if the General Secretary is from outside Allahabad.

Issues relating to loan given to People’s Council of Education (PCE) remained unresolved. The EC discussed this issue earlier also and committees were set up but it remained inconsequential. The 3rd EC meeting deliberated on the issues relating to a move of diverting fixed deposit of ISSA to construct building at PCE land. The EC constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Professor B C Tripathi and Bg. P Ganesham, Professor Sabyshachi Chatterjee as member and Professor Sambasiva Rao as convener to investigate the matter within 90 days and place before the EC for consideration. The appointment of new Auditor was suggested by the GBM at Vidisha, but I failed to get a new Auditor. Even 3rd EC while deliberating on Budget was of the clear view to change the Auditor in every three years. We need to adopt clear direction to ensure transparency.

The Election of President Elect 2023-24, Office Bearer and EC Members for 2022-23 was completed. The Returning Officer announced the results in the 3rd EC, which was approved also. However, letter we got grievances as well. President Elect 2023-24 and General Secretary for the 2022-23 were elected unopposed. There are issues in case of Vice President and EC members. The Returning Officer may clear the grievances and GBM can take a final call on it.

Let all the Hon. Members of the General Body discuss and work collectively to find out a workable solution. In addition to financial issues, organisational issues and facilities for operations of ISSA head quarters deserve serious attention of members. Appropriate changes in the Constitution of ISSA is necessary with the changing scenario. A committee may be constituted to suggest appropriate amendmentsbased on past experiences and also visualising future requirements. Responding to the all the activities envisaged by honourable members will require dedicated collective efforts of many more members.

The undersigned wishes to thank Prof. G. Parthasarathy, the President of ISSA and office bears, EC Members for their love and affection and unconditional support. Dr. N.P. Chaubey deserves special mention, who has been taking tireless pain to carry out the work of ISSA being at headquarter despite his adverse health condition. Staff of ISSA at headquarter namely Mr Abhishek Kumar, Mohamad Suhail, Santosh Kumar and Siddiqui have been working even on holidays to keep the function of ISSA. I thank Prof. A. Peer Mohamed, Vice-chancellor of BSARC Institute of Science and Technologyand his dedicated team for extending their support and cooperation to make this Congress a grand success. Local Organising Secretary Prof. T. Harinarayana and his team has done their best to make this event a grand success. I thank on. members of ISSA and participating delegates of the ISSC for reposing confidence in me. I wish to thank all of them, who have supported ditectly or indirectly in furtherance of the objectives of the ISSA.

However, the undersigned owns the responsibilities of all failures, that he could not overcome despite his willingness to do so.

I hereby place this Annual Report 2021-22 for the consideration of the General Body.