Inauguration of the Department of Sociology and Social Work Association 2020-2021

On September 26th, 2020, the Sociology and Social Work Association of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, organised the inauguration and investiture ceremony of its newly elected office bearers for the academic year of 2020-202. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Dr Tony Sam George, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Dr Victor Paul, Head of the Department, Department Cluster Coordinators, Faculty members, office bearers of the academic year 2019 - 2020, and the undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Department of Sociology and Social Work.

The President and the Secretary for the academic year 2019-2020 addressed the audience sharing their experiences and the importance of the association for the department and the student community.

The event was graced by Dr Tony Sam George, Dean of the School of Social Sciences. Dr Tony Sam Geroge delivered the keynote address discussing the importance of leadership in these difficult times. He emphasized the importance of understanding leadership as a spiritual exercise encouraging a holistic approach towards leadership and the activities of the association.

The keynote address was followed by the investiture ceremony of the newly elected office-bearers. The oath was administered by Dr Victor Paul, Head of the Department. Mr Aashik Mathews B Paliyath, Ms Archana Jayaprakash, Ms Gurneesh Arora, and Ms Asmita Bhattacharya were elected as the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Joint Secretary for the academic year 2020 - 2021. Ms Ahana Mukherjee, Mr Pradhyumna Poojari, and Ms Salma Ilyas were elected as the Treasurer, the Sports Secretary, and the Cultural Secretary respectively

The felicitation address was delivered by Dr Victor Paul, Head of the Department, Dr Hemalatha K MSW HR Cluster Coordinator, Dr.Suparna Majumdar Kar, Sociology Cluster Coordinator, and Dr Amaresha C, MSW CCP Cluster Coordinator. This was followed by the presidential address by Mr Aashik Mathew B Paliyath, the newly elected President of the association. He presented the proposed activities for this academic year. The association had decided to dedicate the activities of the academic year to discuss and act on the Sustainable Development Goals - Agenda 2030. The vote of thanks was delivered by Ms

Archana Jayaprakash.

Book Talk: Caste Matters, A Conversation with Dr Suraj Yengde

On the 24th of September, Socius, Applied Sociology Students Collective of the Department of

Sociology and Social Work organized a discussion on the book ‘Caste Matters’ with the

author, Dr Suraj Yengde. Dr Yengde, a Havard postdoctoral fellow, is one of India's leading

public intellectuals and a noted scholar of caste. He is the author of the bestseller ‘Caste

Matters,’ which was recently featured in the prestigious ‘Best Nonfiction Books of the

Decade’ list by The Hindu. The talk offered an insight into the book and some of the crucial

issues discussed by the author. The session was moderated by Nithya and Archana of II MA

Applied Sociology. The esteemed author discussed a common man’s everyday experiences

with caste with emphasis on symbolic elements in houses and surroundings. The talk covered

a broad array of topics, ranging from the process of writing a book on one of the most

complex and controversial issues to the assertion of Dalit identity in the 21st century.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Draft 2020

On September 1, Socius, Applied Sociology Students Collective of the department of Sociology and Social Work organized a talk on the Environmental Impact Assessment Draft 2020. The talk was delivered by Nitin Sethi, a journalist and a member of The Reporters' Collective. 

He has investigated, written, and reported for two decades on the intersections of India's political economy, natural resources, environment, climate change, economy, public finance, and development. Nitin Sethi discussed the importance of public participation in environmental lawmaking. The draft EIA 2020 is subverting the Constitution by limiting the inclusion of local decision-making bodies and public participation in the region. In the light of several protests and agitations against the draft, the talk offered a deep insight into the future of environmental policy discourse in India.