Indian Social Institute
The Indian Social Institute [ISI], founded in 1951 in Pune (India), is a Jesuit inspired centre for research, training and action for socio-economic development and human rights in India. Founded by Jerome D'Souza in Pune it was shifted to New Delhi in 1963 where it is located at the Lodi institutional Area.
Origin and foundation
Even though the Society of Jesus was active in the social field right from the end of the 19th century, following on the Rerum Novarum encyclical of Leo XIII, it became more actively so after the second world war. In 1949, Superior General Jean-Baptiste Janssens wrote an ‘Instruction on the Social Apostolate’ (10 October 1949) - the first letter ever entirely given to this new apostolic field - calling for a new ‘social mentality’ among the Jesuits. To achieve this he asked that Jesuit formation programmes be revised, education curriculum in Jesuit schools and colleges be adapted, and centres specialized in social information and action be opened. Even the more spiritual kind of apostolic work (Marian congregation, Spiritual Exercises and retreat work) were not to remain unaffected.
As a response to this, in 1951, a Social Institute, called the ‘Indian Institute of Social Order’, was founded in Pune (India) by Jesuit Father Jerome D'Souza, a well-known educationist and member of the Indian Constituent Assembly. Started soon after the independence of India it was meant to help Indian Christians in general, and Jesuits in particular, to enter more actively into the issues of the common socio-economic national welfare. It was meant in the words of its founder to « contribute to the emergence of a new social order in post-independence India».
Early developments
Over the years the institute grew. Seminars were organized, first in Pune and, from 1963 on, in New-Delhi, under the new director, A quarterly journal, ‘Social action’, was launched in 1951. Concurrently several regional training centres were established in various parts of the country, the Xavier Institute in Ranchi, Loyola School of Social Work in Madras (now Chennai) and another one in Trivandrum (Kerala). The regional centres responded more directly to the demands coming from the field.
The ‘Indian Institute of Social Order’ is transferred to New Delhi in 1963, under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Moyersoen (1900–1969). By 1967, it is renamed ‘Indian Social Institute’. Several foremost sociological studies are published, such as the ‘Chotanagpur Survey’ (the first of such kind concerning the tribal groups of Central India) of Francisco Ivern. Under repeated demands coming from the social fields an ‘Extension service’ is started. One of its first ventures is to organize a cooperative movement among fishermen, most of them being bonded labourers. The setting up of cooperatives became the main thrust of the ‘Extension service’.
This service expanded into becoming a full fledged center in Bangalore. also called the 'Indian Social Institute' and is much in demand as a consultancy unit for development agencies.
Later developments
A Tribal orientated development group was started in the late 1960: the ‘Vikas Maitri’, and a programme for ‘Women’s development’ in the 1970, fostering self dignity and awareness in these important but largely marginalized groups of the Indian civil society. A 'Mobile Orientation team' was also started to reach out at the very grassroots level of peoples’ organizations.
To better respond to growing requests in the social fields an entirely new building was put up and inaugurated in 1971 by the president of India, V.V. Giri. At the more intellectual and theoretical levels several workshops and seminars were organised on ‘The Indian family in the 1970s’, "Trade and Development","Population Growth and Development", "Problems of Urban and Rural Women", "Employment", leading each time to the publication of scholarly papers.
Entering the field of ‘human rights’
A political dimension was added to the orientation of the Social Institute in the final quarter of the 19th century. It started research and activism in the political field, more particularly the defence of human rights. A landmark of this new activity in the successful defence before the Supreme Court of the construction workers grossly exploited in the sites of the New-Delhi 1982 ASIAD games. A ‘Legal Aid’ department was created.
Henceforth advocacy and lobbying became an important part of the ISI’s commitment at the service of civil society, as a contribution to fostering a more just social order in India.
Today
Units and departments
The Indian Social Institute, which has consultation status with the ‘United Nations Economic and Social Council’ is made of several units and departments:
- Research Department
- Women’s unit
- Rural and urban development unit
- Tribal and Dalit Units
- Human Rights and Law Unit
Publications and journals
- Publications are numerous in both Hindi and English. They range from the scholarly research studies to the handy instruction books in agriculture or legal rights booklets.
- The following periodicals are published by the institute:
- Social Action (Quarterly in English)
- Legal News and Views (monthly in English)
- Women’s link (Quarterly in English)
- Hashiye Ki Awaaz (Monthly in Hindi)