APPENDIX S- THE QUESTION OF ENCOURAGING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO UNDERTAKE VARIOUS FORMS OF SOCIAL SERVICE
N.B.-The Resolution of the Inter-University Board is reproduced at the end,
Toynbee Hall, the first social Settlement in the United Kingdom, came into being owing to the enthusiasm of young Oxford and Cambridge graduates and nons-graduates. It was again a University graduate who founded the first America. Settlement. Today in both the countries there are a number of settlements and several Universities have started courses of studies for Social Workers.
2. It is v no means a point of dispute that the Indian men and women as a whole are still to be awakened to the necessity on their part to render some form of social service in addition to their daily routine work. There are, indeed, a few social enthusiasts but they are `more' drops in the ocean of demand for Social Workers. The All- India Conference of Social Work recently hold in Bombay in the mouth of November impressed very firmly on the minds of the delegates that India has almost an infinite number of social problems to solve- problems related to Handicapped Children, Juvenile Delinquency, Family and Child Welfare, Prostitution, Beggary, Prisons, Crimes, and many others. Hence naturally the question arises in what way the Indian Universities, the centres of knowledge and culture, could help in the solution of the social problems.
3. It appears that enthusiasm for social work has to be aroused in the hearts of educated men and women. They must be brought in closer contact with the masses of the country. So far the education of the country has been so devised as to widen the gulf between the intelligentsia and the common man in the street. The political background has now changed and it is essential that the University Education should be remoulded to suit the new conditions. During their college life young men and women must be made interested in the common man and his problems. This interest may be well awakened in the lecture rooms through studies of History. Economics, Politics and so on. But this is not enough. The students must be given opportunities to actually go to the slum areas in the cities and to the villages and grapple with some of the minor problems such as Mothercraft, Child Welfare, Hygiene, Adult Education, etc. This practical work may be undertaken either during the term or in the vacation. For this purpose some short intensive training will have to be arranged. It is for the Universities Io decide whether this type of social work should be left to the option of the students or to be made Compulsory. It will, however, not be disputed that best results will be achieved if the students could be first awakened to the spirit of service. Then they would spontaneously offer themselves for social work. And even when they have left the Universities, they would always be doing something for the common man amidst their other multifarious duties.
4. A large number of Indian girls get married after their University Education Most of them have plenty of leisure, which they do not know how to utilise. Had they received the impetus to serve mankind during their college education, they would have devoted their leisure in the service of the country.
5. The country has a few organisations, Private or Government aided, for various kinds of social service. The number of such organisations has to be undoubtedly increased. They can only render efficient service if they are manned by trained personnel. Once more the Universities can come to the rescue by adding to their existing departments another department of Social Welfare constituted somewhat along the lines of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Undergraduate and Post. graduate courses of studies may be prescribed. The Universities with Faculties of Law and Medicine can utilise the services of these professors for their Department
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of Social Welfare. The Social Workers must also possess some knowledge of Law and Medicine. The various Schools of social Work abroad can serve as guide. In this way not only efficient Social Workers will be produced but Social Work will be given the dignity of a learned Profession such as that of Education, Law and Meedcine.
6. The Indian Universities can be of real help in solving the social problems in India firstly, by inculcating the spirit of service in every educated young man and women and secondly, by producing trained Social Workers to run the social organisations.
7. The Inter-University Board, India, which considered this subject at its recent meeting in December 1947, resolved
" that the Board recommends to the Universities to encourage social service by University students on a voluntary basis and with a view to organising such services in an efficient manner, the Board is of opinion that the necessary finances be provided by the Central and Provincial Governments".