Social work in India: Present scenario and future perspectives

Abstract

Eight decades of professional social work in India, marked by few achievements and too many struggles, warrants a serious discussion on what the future holds for a ‘profession’ beleaguered by several internal and external constraints and considerations. Although the pace of progress has been generally considered satisfactory, a large number of veteran social work educators, however, feel uneasy on a number counts. The issue today is not only to recount the old predilections of the profession on conventional lines but to think of the perils and the pressing problems of the profession, which, if allowed to go unattended, will herald the decay and even the eventual demise of the profession. The culture of silence for reasons of indifference or usefulness would cause further degeneration and may well prove to be suicidal. The most pressing issue today is to seriously consider how the wrong can be righted. This article is an attempt to journey through the past of the profession and probes into the present to foresee the future.