Introduction

Since its inception in 1987, the TISS “Tuljapur Campus” has been consistently responding to those vulnerable to natural and human-made calamities and the unjust socio-economic and political order. Its response to the Latur earthquake and its role in addressing the recurrent drought and its attendant effect on livelihood and dignity of people in Marathwada region bear ample testimony to this fact.

TISS “Tuljapur Campus”   is actively engaged in promoting sustainable, eco-friendly and inclusive rural development through teaching, research, field action programmes, training and documentation. While TISS “Tuljapur Campus” is treading the path towards higher education, its commitment to building the capacity of frontline workers, especially at the grassroots, and evolving alternative experimental action programmes aimed at livelihood, social entrepreneurship and institution-building has assumed greater significance. Organisation of people, promotion of gender equity, application of appropriate technology, communication of new techniques for agricultural and non-agricultural workers, and rural-based research in social work and social sciences are some of the strategies adopted by TISS Tuljapur to be bold, different and responsive.

In order to meet the growing need for trained professionals to work at grassroots level, TISS “Tuljapur Campus” started a Bachelor Degree in Social Work in the year 2004. As the need for academically and professionally competent personnel to work for the transformation of Rural India was keenly felt a new Post-graduate programme in Social Work with Specialization in Rural Development was started in 2010. In the academic Year 2012-2013 the 5-Year Integrated Programme in Social Sciences was introduced followed by PG Diploma in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in 2013, perhaps the first full-time teaching programme of its kind in the country launched with support from UNICEF. In the academic year 2014 - 15 three new MA Programmes namely MA/M.Sc in Development Policy, Planning and Practice, MA/M.Sc in Sustainable Livelihoods & Natural Resources Governance, MA in Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship along with Integrated M.Phil/Ph.D and direct Ph.D were introduced.

The teaching and academic programmes are well blended with field learning, supported and facilitated by development partners and people’s institutions. The field learning activities not only help the students enhance their sensitivity to social realities, but also provide different lenses to see the linkages between theory and practice in a praxis mode. Application and use of diverse pedagogical methods—lecture, seminar, case study, group work, workshops, simulation exercises, etc, enrich the entire learning process for both students and teachers.

Inclusive rural development, focusing on primary education, health care, livelihood and governance, water, market and micro-planning, has been identified as the focal theme for research at TISS “Tuljapur Campus”. In all our endeavours to create a strong teaching and research culture, we keep asking two critical questions, (i) what is ‘rural’ about rural campus? and (ii) what is ‘social’ about social sciences? The search for answers to these questions finds expression in the form of public lectures delivered by eminent scholars, the dialectical classroom learning and the exploratory engagement with the development practitioners, activists, and the rural communities.

Vision

To be a premier and a unique campus of TISS, recognised locally and globally for development and application of knowledge in social sciences and social work, to develop alternative and sustainable models for social transformation based on the principles of human dignity, equity and inclusion.

Mission

• To create a cadre of competent and committed development professionals, practitioners, teachers, researchers and activists through teaching, research, training and field action.

• To be a responsible knowledge partner with government, people’s organisations and academic institutions for building capacity, contributing to policy formulation and reaching out especially to marginalised sections of the society at the local, regional, national and international levels.

FIELD ACTION PROJECTS

The field action Projects (FAPs) undertaken by TISS “Tuljapur Campus” provide enough opportunities to be socially responsible and responsive, and also challenge and question the relevance of theoretical approaches and strategies to create and accelerate the process of social transformation. Currently, the FAPs focus on agriculture based livelihood, rain water harvesting and watershed development, organising NT/DNT communities to promote and protect their rights and dignity, sensitising the rural youth to discover their role and responsibility in local governance and nation building and building people’s institutions for the effective implementation and monitoring of development and welfare schemes at the Panchayat level.

Student Support Services

The following student support services are provided at TISS – Tuljapur Campus.

Social Protection Office

TISS had set up a Student Service Cell in 1986, with the financial assistance from the then Ministry of Welfare, Government of India, to assist the students from the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), for improving their academic performance and optimizing their development in their personal and social life at the Institute. In 1988, the Institute obtained approval of the University Grants Commission for setting up a Special Cell for SCs and STs, which started functioning in 1989. Recently, the Institute has incorporated the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Persons with Disability (PWDs) and Minorities into the Social Protection Office with similar objectives. From this year, the SC/ST Cell known as Social Protection Office (SPO).

Students’ Affairs (Empowered Committee)

An Empowered Committee is constituted at TISS “Tuljapur Campus” to deal with matters related to students’ discipline arising out of violation of institute rules and regulations. This Committee consists of a Chairperson, Convener (Provost, Wardens of the Hostels, Chairperson of the Social Protection Cell, two student representatives from their respective class (Girls and Boys), and an Administrative Officer as Convener. This Committee will be responsible for hearing complaints of breach of rules and the decision made by this Committee will be final and will be implemented in full. Parents may feel free to contact the Provost during their visit to the campus.

Accommodation/Hostels

In order to promote group living and learning, dormitory type accommodation is provided by the Institute. Admission to the hostels is restricted to full-time, bonafide students. The hostel is available on a sharing basis. Students are strictly prohibited from alcoholic drinks, smoking and consuming any type of tobacco products in the hostel as well as within the Campus. If any student is found guilty of this, he/she shall be expelled from the programme.

Dining Hall

The Dining Hall serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. It has been run on a no profit and no loss basis and has been managed by the Dining Hall Working Committee and Dining Hall Management Committee with student representatives as members and with the support of faculty and staff. The Chairperson of the Dining Hall Management Committee is a faculty and the Dining Hall Working Committee is chaired by a student representative.

It is open for all the students, staff, participants of all the short-term courses/training programmes and seminars held at Tuljapur TISS Campus. Default in the payment of dining hall charges will result in penalties and cancellation of dining hall membership and even hostel residence. Re-admission as a fresh candidate may be considered on payments of all dues. The Dining Hall closes at 9.00 PM.

In addition to the Dining Hall, there is also a canteen catering to the needs of the students and staff.

Library

The Institute has a well equipped Library with relevant books for the Programmes offered. Access to the Library is free for Tata Institute of Social Sciences Members, TISS Students, Faculty & Staff. The Library has set up an Institutional Repository that provides access to Faculty Project Reports, Compendium, Electronic Books, Question Bank, Thesis &Dissertation. Digitization facilities, Access to Electronic Resources, Online Public Access Facility, Cyber Library and Software for visually challenged are also available in the Library

Computer Centre

A well setup, furnished and maintained Computer Centre provides the institute the support for IT enabled services. Information Technology facilities in the Institute are supported by the Computer Centre including Software Development, Server Management, Network Management, routine backups, support training and procurement. The Centre also manages the Wi-Fi environment available to the inmates of the Campus.

Health Care

The institute has a visiting Medical Officer at Tuljapur Campus. The visiting Medical Officer is available every Thursday in the evening. There is a full time trained nurse and three trained paramedical staff available on the campus round the clock. The Institute Ambulance service be available to the students in emergency cases only and as per the recommendation by the administration in consultation with the Institute doctor.

Counselling Services

The TISS “Tuljapur Campus” has a Counselling Centre (CC). There is a full- time trained professional Counsellor to provide counselling services in the Campus. The counsellor helps the students with their day to day concerns as well as catering to their overall well being. The CC conducts workshops regularly on topics relevant to increasing the capacities of the students viz; “Time management”, “Stress management”, “Building emotional resilience, “Dealing with relationship issues” and “Enhancing inter-personal relationships”. The counsellor also works in collaboration with the Career Guidance and Placement Cell in preparing the students for placement interviews.

The CC maintains a notice board where posters, charts, write-up, useful information and cartoons pertaining to various psycho-social issues are exhibited. The email is yet another medium of communication for the students and the Counselling Centre wherein students can write to the counsellor for appointments or asking for help. The email service is also used to inform students about workshops, to send articles and even communicate for follow ups.

Health Insurance

The Tuljapur TISS Campus has a Group Mediclaim and Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy for students, the details of which are hosted on wwww.tiss.edu/insurance.

Sports, Music and Recreation

The TISS “Tuljapur Campus” is fully equipped along with the infrastructure for several out-door sports like football, basketball, cricket, badminton, volleyball, kho-kho, etc. Indoor games like table-tennis, Carom, Chess are also available for the students. All Sports and Gym activities are conducted under the guidance and supervision of a qualified and experienced Physical Instructor appointed at Tuljapur TISS Campus. There is a three storey Gymkhana Building in “Tuljapur Campus”. The Gym is located on the ground floor of the Gymkhana Building and is well equipped with all the latest equipments.

The students organise friendly sports and games (both outdoor and indoor) and the Annual Sports Day is a much awaited day which is organised by the sports committee. A separate music room equipped with various musical instruments has been made available for the students. Interested students can learn music under the supervision of trained/competent musicians.

There is an Amphitheatre with seating capacity of 500 students where students organise cultural activities, debates, film shows, academic discussions etc.

*Rules and Regulations and details regarding each of these support systems are available in the STUDENT HANDBOOK provided to the students at the beginning of the Course.

Location, Access and Communication

Location

The Tuljapur Campus of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences is situated on the North-West hills of the Tuljapur town on Apsinga Road. Tuljapur town is in Osmanabad district of Marathwada region in Maharashtra. It is spread across on 100 acres of land filled with numerous varieties of trees, plants and birds. The Campus is situated on hill plateau and at its one end, there is a valley (Ramdhara Dam) and at its other end, there is forest cover. One can find rare species of birds, peacocks, rabbits, and deer in this picturesque environment.

Access

It is on the National Highway No. 211. State Transport buses from Mumbai, Aurangabad, Sholapur, Pune, and other cities (and buses from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh) pass through Tuljapur town. The nearest railway stations are Osmanabad and Sholapur. Most trains from Mumbai and Pune towards the south pass through Sholapur. Some of the major trains are: Siddeshwar Express, Udyan Express, Konark Express, Karnataka Express, Hutatma Express, Jayanti Janata Kanyakuamari Express, Chennai Express, Hussain Sagar Express, Kurla Coimbatore Express, etc.

Address :

Tata Institute of Social Sciences,

Post Box No. 9,Tuljapur, District - Osmanabad, Maharashtra 413 601