Plea for setting up of social work council in Telangana

Hyderabad: The need for bringing professionally qualified social workers under a proper governing mechanism, such as a social work council, to give the lead to such initiatives in the state and across the country, has been stressed by the professionals in the field.

Over the years, qualified social workers are addressing the problems of poverty, violence, conflicts of the marginalized and issues of child rights as also of women. They work in rural and urban areas through agencies or organisations.

India is the second in the world in terms of having the largest of over 526 social work educational institutions. More than one lakh students are enrolled in bachelor and masters courses each year. Over five lakh professional social workers are estimated to be currently working with civil society organisations, government, corporate sector, and hospital and health sectors as well as with the other welfare and developmental agencies at the state, regional, national and international levels, these professionals say.

Most of these qualified social workers have completed their Masters in Social work. They now urge the government to form a Council so that their work gets recognition.

Aparna Addala, consultant, Department of Health and Family welfare, said, “Various organisations are doing suboptimal utilizations of their services. Hence our plea for the council.”

Anita Rego, founder Director Pearls 4 Development organisation that works in social development consulting, said, “Social workers in Telangana are advocating the establishment of a national council for social work education in India.”

“This council can help enhance quality in social work education, result in the creation of national registers of accredited social work education institutions and programmes, and raise the status of the profession. The request to establish NCSWE is also in tune with the recently enacted National Educational Policy of 2020,” she said.