(India news) World Social Work Day is observed annually on the third Tuesday of March to recognize and celebrate the contributions of social workers worldwide. In 2025, it is held on March 18. The theme for 2025 is “Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing.” This theme emphasizes the importance of fostering connections and mutual support across different generations to build robust societies, sustain the environment, and share wisdom for a better future. In India, various events and activities are organized to mark this day, focusing on the pivotal role of social workers in community development and support. These events often include workshops, seminars, and community outreach programs that highlight the significance of intergenerational solidarity and the impact of social work on societal well-being.
(India news) In Ahilyanagar, BPHES’ CSRD Institute of Social Work and Research takes the lead of the celebration of world social work day. 183 MSW students of the Institute have planned various events in their field work agencies and communities to recognise the contribution of social workers by felicitating the professional social workers working in various agencies of Ahilyanagar city. There are about one hundred professional social workers serving Ahilyanagar city in various capacities in community development sectors, medical and psychiatric settings, family and child development settings and industrial settings. Most of them are CSRD alumni. They are about 25 professional social workers working at the District Hospital, 15 professional social workers at Vikhe Patil Medical College and Hospital, about 50 professional social workers at Snehalaya and its various social work projects. Professional social workers are rendering praiseworthy services at Amrutvahini, Anandrish Hospital, Saideep Hospital, Booth Hospital, Bharosa Cell, Sakhi One Stop Centre, Childline, Caring Hands, Sacred Heart School, Social Welfare Department, Women and Child Development Department, Educational Department, ICDS department, NULM Department, MSRLM department, MAVIM, Zila Parishad Office, and many other government and nongovernment agencies. There are also professional social workers working in the capacity of human resource managers in various industrial houses in Ahilyanagar. All these professional social workers are working with individuals, families, groups and communities in both the welfare as well as the development sectors. Professional social workers help people to help themselves, to solve their problems, to empower them and to bring the marginalised individuals, groups and communities in to the mainstream society.
(India news) As part of the celebration of World Social Work Day, the students of the Institute have planned to organise lectures, demonstrations, rallies, poster presentations, street plays, felicitation of the professional social workers, public meetings, shramdan or cleaning campaigns and special events to honour the elderly. Events are planned to felicitate the grand parents in the school settings, awareness campaigns about extension of PM Jan Arogya Yojana to the elderly above 70 years of age, wisdom sharing sessions by the elderly, interaction of the young with the old, befriending and listening to the elderly, special input sessions by the retired professionals for the development of the society and many more. The wisdom of the elderly is significant towards the promotion of sustainable development of the society and the environment. Social workers play a vital role in the achievement of sustainable development goals. BPHES’ CSRD ISWR is the pioneer social work educational institution of Ahilyanagar providing undergraduate and postgraduate training in professional social work (BSW and MSW) affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University. Admission is now open.
(Dr. Jaimon Verghese is Senior Professor in CSRD -ISWR, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra)
