Sambandh 2021

Sambandh is the annual undergraduate fest organised by the Department of Sociology and Social Work Association. The word ‘Sambandh’ translates to ‘Relationships’ and is a celebration of the ties that keep us bound together. This year, Sambandh 2021 took place online on 24th and 26th April 2021 and aimed to explore and celebrate the future of relationships not just between humans but also those we have with our environment, in the context of a pandemic and post-pandemic world. 

Sambandh 2021: Debate Competition

24th April 2021

As part of Sambandh 2021, a Debate Competition was organized on Saturday, 24th April 2021 on the topic ‘this house believes that censorship restricts freedom of speech and expression.’A total of four teams competed for the Best Debating Team Award. The judging panel included Nikhita Jindal, a Research Scholar at the Department of Sociology and Social Work, and Shankar Varma, a Research Scholar at the Department of Economics, CHRIST (Deemed to be University).

Neha Shetty and Renibi Mukhia were declared the title winners, followed by Harshil Sanga and Pooja A in the 2nd position. The house witnessed an insightful and powerful debate on one of the most discussed topics in contemporary India. The teams gave an insightful deliberation exploring various aspects of censorship, freedom of speech and expression, and the importance of dissent in a democracy.

The winning team debated in favour of the motion that censorship is a threat to dissent and the fundamental right of a citizen to free speech. They argued that the censorship operating in various domains of society has grievously hampered public debate which is an important part of modern liberal democracies. They also explored how such actions have affected cinema and other creative domains and that such restrictions are often illegal and arbitrary. The rebuttal and question-answer session following the debate also presented some crucial questions regarding the state of freedom of speech and expression in contemporary India. The competition gave a platform to students to voice their opinions and sharpen their debating and communication skills.

Sustainability Champion 2021

26th April 2021

Sustainability Champion was organized as part of the SAMBANDH 2021 on Monday, 26th April 2021 at Google Meet. The event encouraged students to develop creative solutions around critical topics relating to sustainability. Youth action and innovation are playing a crucial role in shaping the post-pandemic world. A total of 4 teams registered for the competition. The contestants were given 24 hours to come up with an innovative and creative plan that could help the city of Bengaluru overcome the current crisis situation. The final round saw a total of 10 participants in 2 teams working on developing a social entrepreneurship plan that could help the government deal with the current COVID-19 crisis. The judging panel included Priyanka Kaushik, a Research Scholar, and Christina Francis, a Research Scholar at the Department of Sociology and Social Work Association, CHRIST (Deemed to be University).

Divyajyoti, Harshil, Pranay, Pooja, and Upasana are the title winners of Sustainability Champion 2021. They developed a plan to provide a one-stop solution for all COVID-19 care and updates by digitising every step involved. The vast amount of information related to COVID-19 and the constant worry about the authenticity of information is without a doubt a major concern. Through their project, MediQuick, the team aims to provide a digital forum that will not only act as an information and help centre but will also be a tool to aid COVID-19 medical care and increase transparency in the treatment process.

Neha Shetty, Geethika Nair, Sneha Ravishankar, and Diya Elizabeth Dennis were awarded the second position. The plan formulated by this team was titled, ‘Project Phoenix,’ unique hospital management set up which comprises Efficient Hospital Management System (All PHC’S and Govt hospitals) for a social cause.

The competition provided a platform for budding entrepreneurs to present their ideas and receive guidance from an expert panel. Sustainability Champion 2021 discussed various aspects of public health, one of the most important crises faced by present-day society. At a time when the city and all its institutions are struggling in the fight against the second wave of the Novel Coronavirus, the competition gave an opportunity to students to think and reflect on what they can contribute to help their city in tackling the COVID-19 crisis.

Young Sociologist 2021

26th April 2021

The flagship event of SAMBANDH 2021, Young Sociologist, was organized on 26th April 2021. Students were encouraged to unearth the biggest questions we should be asking as we move toward a post-pandemic society. The competition required the participants to make a presentation using their Sociological Imagination to understand and critically analyze one of the biggest challenges faced by us in reconstructing a sustainable post-pandemic society. A total of 14 participants registered for the competition. The final round had 7 Young Sociologists discussing a wide range of topics that are instrumental in shaping the discourse on development in the post-pandemic world. The judging panel consisted of Dr Anu George, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Ms Manisha Saha, Research Scholar, Ms Gloria Babu, Research Scholar, and Ms Ringngheti Khenglawt, Research Scholar at the Department of Sociology and Social Work CHRIST (Deemed to be University).

Paroma Raha of 6 EPS is the title winner of Young Sociologist 2021. Paroma discussed the ‘Role of Social Media in Women’s Movement in India: Lessons from the Pandemic.’ The presentation critically analyzed various aspects of social media activism to understand how it added momentum to the women's movement in India. With its power to encourage solidarity and collect shared experiences, social media has become a new frontier for women’s rights activists to organize and ally to join the fight for equality and justice. Paroma examined a broad range of topics including but not limited to hashtag activism, beating the algorithm, domestic violence helplines, and sisterhood and community building through social media.

Mehul Aggarwal of 6 PSEng and Pooja A of 4 PSEco won the second and third position respectively. Mehul discussed ‘Panopticon Society in the Post Pandemic World,’ critically analyzing how privacy and surveillance could be one of the major crises in the post-pandemic society.

Pooja looked into the various crucial questions concerning sustainability and climate action by discussing the topic ‘Green Recovery.’

Sociology plays a central role in our understanding of the extent of the pandemic, its social, cultural, political, and economic consequences, and the challenges in building a sustainable post-pandemic world. The Sociology and Social Work Association dedicated its activities for the academic year to discuss, deliberate, and act on the Sustainable Development Goals - Agenda 2030. Young Sociologist 2021 saw powerful voices of young scholars critically analyzing our path towards this sustainable future.

Valedictory Ceremony

27th April 2021

The Sociology and Social Work Association of 2020-2021 had their Valediction Ceremony on 27th April 2021. The event commenced at 4:30 pm; the emcees of the event were Rishi Mukherjee and Pradhyumna Poojari of 2 MSW HRDM. After a brief introduction by the emcees, the event was graced with an invocation song by Charis Divya of 2 MSW HRDM.

Divya Tripathi, Senior Editor, 4 MSW HRDM, gave a summary of the events and initiatives of the Association throughout the academic year. Followed by which Presidential address was delivered by Dr Victor Paul, Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Work. The Cluster Coordinators Dr Ameresha and Dr Suparna Kar further addressed the DSSWA members with a message for the team for their future endeavours.

Further, the President of the Association Mr Aashik Mathew and University Council Member of the department Mr Midhun Nair shared their experiences with the association and in their respective leadership roles. The participants were guided to witness the YouTube premiere of the cultural segment of the event by the emcees.

The cultural events were followed by Dr Victor Paul distributing the certificates to all the association members for their contributions throughout the academic year.

Dr Reena Merin Cherian and Dr Sudhansubala Sahu delivered the felicitation address. The event was concluded with a vote of thanks by Tina Maria Dsouza of 2 MA Applied Sociology.