Six lakhs professionally qualified workforce aspires for National Council of Social Work Profession...

NAPSWI’s Representation To Bharatiya Janta Party for inclusion of  Granting Professional Status To Social Work Profession and a Legislation For Social Workers’ Welfare  in their Election Manifesto

 We all are planning to eagerly participate in forthcoming Parliament (Lok Sabha) Election and Elections of some of State assemblies. 
We would like to introduce ourselves as one of the youngest human service profession and we are one of the major stake holders of Social service sector. Professional Social Work as a subject is being taught in 125 countries including India and the same is being and practiced. Our goal is to promote social change and development and the empowerment of people. 
 We work with vulnerable, marginalized, poor, and people in distress and ensures social justice, human rights, and collective responsibility. The Professional Social Work as a discipline in this country is more than eight decades old. It has received recognition as early as in 1948 when trained social workers were appointed welfare officers in factories, mines, and plantations. Many government bodies like University Grants Commission, Ministry of Education, National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) have appointed experts committees time to time. In India, Social Work education is being given through 526 educational and training institutions across the country.
National Association of Professional Social Workers in India (NAPSWI) is one of largest member based organization of professional social workers in the country. NAPSWI is a non-profit, non- political, national level organization dedicated to the promotion of standard and status of social work profession. NAPSWI intends to promote the social work profession across the country with the aim of improving the quality of services in the social welfare and social development sectors on one hand and to protect interests of social work professionals on other.
On behalf of the Social work professionals’ fraternity who are an important part of social sector as well as civil society sector of this large and diverse nation, 
National Association of Professional Social Workers in India (NAPSWI) wishes to place before you the aspirations of this community which is as large Six lakhs trained professionally qualified workforce largely working in social sector.
 It has capacity to influence socio politico agenda. Working as human service professional in various fields and settings like child care, education, community development, family well being, labour welfare, health care professionals, Medical/Psychiatric Social workers, Rural and urban development, social  problems, social issues with people and organization working for betterment of the people. They are effectively functioning to achieve the development with justice and well being – be it physical, mental, personal, or social - of the needy, distressed, victims, marginalized. This letter is only to request you to include our point of view as assurance in your election manifesto. NAPSWI requests you to consider followings:

1. National Council of Social Work Profession: After seven decades of independence, we are struggling to get status of human service professionals while we carry forward most of the policies / programmes/ schemes of social sector with our expertise and scientific knowledge. While Government of India has recognized our services in various legislations like Juvenile Justice Act, family Courts Act, Mental Health Act. We have yet to be recognized as professionals while in more than 124 countries have already recognized this discipline as a profession.
2. Along with this, we also request you to consider :
a) To reformulate National Policy of Voluntary Sector which was brought by Voluntary Action Cell, Planning Commission, Government of India in May 2007. Since then, there is lot of water have flown in our rivers but no serious changes have been brought. The Social sector policy is the need of the hour especially in light of our commitment to the Constitution of India if the and Sustainable Development Goals. 

b) To ensure minimum wages and decent working conditions and conditions of work for professional and non professional employees engaged in social sector  like ASHA workers, AW workers) and to bring a legislation of this effect.

We very humbly place before you to include NAPSWI’s Representation of Professional Social Workers of India in their best interest and the best interest of “WE PEOPLE” of this country to seek your Assurance in the Election Manifesto.
Sincerely Yours

Prof Sanjai Bhatt Prof Suresh Pathare
President, NAPSWI Secretary, NAPSWI