Introduction
The School of Social Sciences (SOSS) is among the larger schools of studies at the University. It has a strength of 41 faculty members and 32 administrative personnel. SOSS offers academic programmes in six disciplines: Economics, History and Tourism Studies, Library and Information Science, Political Science, Public Administration, and Sociology.
The learning programmes in these disciplines relate to core subject areas but at the same time straddle disciplines, in order to enlarge the canvas for academic pursuits. The School also links the development of courses to the ever-expanding socio-economic and political contexts in which social science processes occur.
In view of the fact that IGNOU is today the foremost centre of open and distance learning and is adequately equipped with modern educational technologies, the School has consciously tried to assign a significant role to ICT tools in devising the learning programmes. The following features are a hallmark of its programmes:
- Basic programmes in various disciplines at the under-graduate and post-graduate levels have been buttressed with foundation and application-oriented courses.
- Short-term and long-term courses focused on vocational and professional needs.
- Programmes and courses geared to meet the requirements of groups located on the fringes of society.
- Programmes in areas of concern to society with a social science perspective.
The School has expanded its academic activities and has launched a research programme that applies newer methodologies to elicit a more creative response, both from within a discipline and from interdisciplinary interactions.
It also undertakes training programmes in the areas of disaster management, human rights, tourism and other contemporary social issues.
