Jnana Prabodhini Social Sciences Study Centre (JP-SSSC) सामाजिक शास्त्र अध्ययन केंद्र

Jnana Prabodhini
Social Sciences Study Centre

Brief Introduction

The development consisting of harmony of the human being with self, family, society, and nature can be called ‘harmonious development’ (“शाश्वत विकास”). The obstacles that come in the way of the harmonious development of a nation can be called national challenges or national issues. Such national issues are often complex, multifaceted, and tenuous. To achieve harmonious development, we have to understand the complexity of these issues and find directions towards solutions. Coordinated and consistent efforts have to be made in these directions. To enable personal and societal behaviour towards harmonious development, it is necessary to design and create coherent and complementary structures. To achieve this, a holistic approach, comprehensive skills, and an integrative attitude are required. Jnana Prabodhini Social Sciences Study Centre (JP-SSSC) (ज्ञान प्रबोधिनी सामाजिक शास्त्र अध्ययन केंद्र) is intended to inculcate, nurture, and develop these things. The interdisciplinary (multi-disciplinary or transdisciplinary) learning and study required for this will be enabled through the process of exposure, participation, training, taking challenges, and integration.

Work Statement

To develop the holistic approach, comprehensive skills, and integrative attitude required for harmonious development (development with harmony of human being with self, family, society, and nature) in citizens through the study of social sciences and to create enabling structures and systems.

Priority Directions and Areas of Work

Jnana Prabodhini’s work is carried out in various directions. The work of JP-SSSC will be done primarily in the direction of national integration, then in the direction of quality development for working as a team and conducting research. The root causes of various national issues can be categorised into a person’s disharmony with self, society, and nature. JP-SSSC is working for harmonious development.
To lay the foundation of national unity, there is a need to strengthen awareness and understanding in society about the harmonious development of the country and national issues. There has to be a team of volunteers (karykartas) who can not only relate to the dream of harmonious development but also create awareness about it among youth and citizens. This team should be able to inspire, motivate, and develop abilities in them to achieve this futuristic dream. This team needs to be willing to study, make efforts, experiment, and learn from experiments.
To find solutions for harmonious development and for overcoming national issues, methods of interdisciplinary study and research have to be developed. Such methods have to be experimented with and theorised. This can be achieved by the combined efforts of youth and citizens who want to work on national issues and their organisations. It is a kind of teamwork.
For such a collective effort, an ideology of ‘Adhyatmik Rashtrayog’ that is compatible with the current era, inclusive, and connecting all will have to be formulated. Experiments based on this ideology will be realised for harmonious development and nation-building through dialogue in society.

Key Areas of Work:

1. Value-Based Economics
2. Philosophy
3. Evolution of Consciousness
4. Spaces of Harmony Between Religions (Economic and Social Dimensions)
5. Use of Technology to solve National or Social Problems: Application considering Technology, Human Intelligence, and Social Conditions
6. Constitution: Building Bridges between Constitutional and Cultural Aspects of Nationalism

Key National Issues:

1. Poverty and Inequality
2. Lack of National Integration
3. Lack of Harmonious Development

Objectives

Bringing conceptual clarity to the interrelationship between the study of social sciences, national issues, and harmonious development: To bring conceptual clarity to understanding the harmonious development of the country, the experiments conducted in that direction, and the obstacles to it. By clarifying them, we can find the key points in the process of studying and teaching social sciences from that point of view.
Comprehensive study of national issues and creation of literature for carrying out dialogue on the same: To find out the direction of answers to some of the national issues, study in depth the various dimensions, their interrelationships, and viewpoints towards those issues.
Study and synthesis of solutions to national issues: To study the efforts made by individuals and organisations working for harmonious development. To study their responses, characteristic approaches, and effective ways of working. Seeing the synergy between the ways they have taken for solutions, to synthesise and develop immediate and long-term solutions for these national issues.
Connecting youth and creating awareness among them about harmonious development and national issues: Taking note of groups that should be involved in working towards harmonious development and reaching out to them through various channels. To make them aware of the national issues and various dimensions involved by bringing to their attention their connection with those issues and the required participation in the solutions.
Capacity, skills, attitude, approach, and networking of youth for harmonious development: To inculcate in youth the necessary capacities, skills, approaches, and attitudes to understand the complexities of national issues and find solutions to them. To create structures and systems for the same. To continue working towards solutions by learning from each other by networking and organising youth who want to work on complex national issues.
Formulation of an ideology that gives a perspective on harmonious development: To formulate ‘Adhyatmik Rashtrayog’ as an ideology that gives a perspective of harmonious development.

Research Activities

The Centre has undertaken research in the following areas, and has engaged interns for research assistance:

1. Understanding the Economic Well-Being of Female Domestic Workers in Urban Pune (Part 1)

2. Impact of AI on Accounting & Auditing: Focusing on the Chartered Accountancy Profession

3. Indian Fiscal Federalism: A Look at the Points of Contention

4. Financial Literacy for Disadvantaged Groups

5. Inclusive Growth: Understanding the Economic Well-being of Female Domestic Workers in Urban Pune (Part 2)

6. 2025 Personal Income Tax Rebate: Assessing impacts on Consumption, Investment, and Saving

7. What Sentience Contributes: The Embodied and Intuitive Grounds of Human vs. AI Creativity

Complied Project Summaries (1 -4)

Critical Thinking Courses and Workshops

This course was developed under the guidance of Dr. Savita Kulkarni, who has done her PhD in Critical Thinking, and Dr. Deepak Gupte, along with Centre Coordinator Amol Phalke and Dr. Aditya Ponkshe. Critical Thinking is a 2-credit NEP-compliant academic course for undergraduate and post-graduate students of any academic stream.

The course titled “Fundamentals of Critical Thinking” has been regularly offered at the Ranade Industrial and Economic Institute, SPPU, for students of the Master of Arts in Mass Communication and Journalism (MAMCJ) programme.
A 15-hour workshop based on this content was also conducted for students of Disom Foundation (Assam), students of Jnana Prabodhini Institute of Psychology’s Diploma in School Psychology program, members of Jnana Prabodhini’s Youth Wing (युवक विभाग), and the Leadership Development Centre (नेतृत्व संवर्धन केंन्द्र).
The centre conducted the Introductory Critical Thinking workshop on October 9th–10th, 2024, for postgraduate students of the Leadership, Politics, and Governance program. Organised by IIDL, RMP (Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership, Rambhau Mhalagi Prabodhini, Thane), this two-day (12-hour) session introduced fundamental concepts of critical thinking.
The Advanced Critical Thinking workshop (February 3–5, 2025) for RMP, Thane, was built upon the introductory workshop by focusing on argument building, ethical dilemmas, and problem-solving.
On 30 December 2024, a 3-hour Critical Thinking workshop for teachers from the Humanities domain of IISER Pune was organised.
A two-credit course on Critical Thinking for selected BA and MA students (Journalism and Communication) of Dwaraka Doss Goverdhan Doss Vaishnav College (DDGDVC), Chennai, began on February 12, 2025. The course started with a three-day offline workshop at the college, attended by 50 students. The workshop was conducted by Mr. Amol Phalke, Dr. Savita Kulkarni, Dr. Vivek Kulkarni, and Dr. Deepak Gupte. The remaining sessions were conducted online in March 2025.
For the second time, the course on Critical Thinking included a four-day (24-hour) offline workshop held from December 16th to 19th, 2025, attended by 31 selected students from the B.A. and M.A. programmes of DDGDV College. The workshop was conducted by Dr. Savita Kulkarni and Mr. Amol Phalke and included several activity-based sessions. The remaining sessions were conducted online
A 2-credit course on Critical Thinking (30 hours) was conducted by Mr. Amol Phalke, for 71 first-year B.A. Psychology students at DES Pune University from 18 Feb 2025 to 7 May 2025. The course structure included 24 one-hour sessions and 6 hours of assignments. It was an interactive and activity-driven program that actively engaged the students throughout.
A four-day workshop on Critical Thinking (CT) was conducted from 30th May to 2nd June 2025 for the 3rd cohort of Disom – The Leadership School, an initiative for aspiring socio-political leaders, at Bodhigram, Dehradun. 23 participants (aged 22–47) from diverse backgrounds and states across India (including MP, Maharashtra, Telangana, Manipur, Jharkhand, Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, J&K, and UP) took part. Key CT concepts, their application in the field, and the journey from ‘critical thinking to critical being’ were explored through activities, role plays, audio-visual material, and case studies. The workshop saw sincere and wholehearted participation, fostering co-exploration and co-learning. The workshop was primarily facilitated by Dr. Savita Kulkarni, Mr. Deepak Gupte, and Mr. Amol Phalke, with Dr. Vivek Kulkarni as mentor and Mr. Biren Bhuta as Disom coordinator.
A 2-credit course (30 hours) for 78 first-year students at DES Pune University (B.A. Psychology) was conducted by Mr. Amol Phalke from December 23, 2025, to April 2026. The curriculum consisted of 30 one-hour direct sessions conducted through interactive and diverse activities. Students are evaluated via in-class written exams on various subtopics.
A 2-credit course (30 hours) for 12 second-year students at DES Pune University (B.Sc. Economics) was conducted by Mr. Amol Phalke from December 24, 2025, to April 2026. The course followed a format of 30 one-hour interactive and activity-based sessions. Evaluation is done through written exams in class.
Mr. Amol Phalke conducted a workshop on Critical Thinking for 3 days (9 hours), from 27th to 29th April, for the students of the Advanced Diploma in School Psychology at Jnana Prabodhini’s Institute of Psychology, along with Dr. Deepak Gupte. Overall, 24 participants of different age groups, having diverse backgrounds and experiences, attended the workshop. The workshop started with a context-setting exercise regarding what CT is and how it can be useful in different roles required to be played by school psychology professionals in the school ecosystem.
It was then followed by a role play about conflict between a child and parents regarding a specific career choice, leading to a counselling session. The common content generated from this role play, along with other material, was used throughout the workshop to understand how the RED model and questioning can be used for counselling; how to become aware of and cope with cognitive biases; and how to avoid logical fallacies to reach more informed and responsible decisions. The sessions were very lively and interactive. The process of co-exploration along with the participants during the workshop was enriching. It was a great learning experience.

Samajik Shastra Katta (Sessions & Workshops)

The first Samajik Shastra Katta on the topic “Unlocking India’s Budget” was held on Saturday, 10 August 2024, 6.30 PM to 8 PM, in Prabodh Sabhagruh, Jnana Prabodhini, Sadashiv Peth, Pune. Piyush Ozarde, PhD Student at IIM Ahmedabad and Assistant Head, JPCEC, and Vaibhavi Pingale, PhD Student at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics and Founder, Tatvita Analysts, conducted the discussion.

The “Analysing the Union Budget: Data, Trends, and Qualitative Insights” workshop, held on 02 February 2025 at Jnana Prabodhini, saw a turnout of 20 participants from various academic fields. Led by Mr. Piyush Ozarde and Mr. Ishant Deshmukh, with support from Ms. Vaibhavi Pingale, the session covered the basics of the Indian Union Budget, key economic indicators, and important government schemes. Participants also took part in practical activities like extracting budget data, analyzing trends using Excel, and exploring links between different national schemes. The workshop received positive feedback, with many looking forward to a follow-up session for deeper discussions and presentations.

Responding to the interest generated by the first workshop, the centre organised a “Budget Pe Charcha” session on 23 February 2025 at Jnana Prabodhini. Building on previous discussions about budget fundamentals, this follow-up session delved deeper into Union Budget 2025-26 insights, emphasizing data-driven analysis and sectoral trends. Key topics included the fiscal deficit (presented by Shubham Thorat), manufacturing and private investment (discussed by Ishant Deshmukh), and welfare schemes like NREGS and PM-KISAN (explained by Mr. Piyush Ozarde). Mr. Piyush Ozarde also highlighted recent trends in fund allocations for minor schemes under the Cooperative and Agriculture Ministry. Ms. Vaibhavi Pingale provided comprehensive business and investment insights, covering sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, and MSMEs. The session concluded with Mr. Shashishekhar Chaugule’s presentation on taxation, focusing on the middle-income class, followed by an engaging Q&A session that saw active participation and positive feedback.

On 22 March 2025, the centre conducted a session on “Personal Financial Planning”, led by Mr. Amol Sugandhi, with 21 participants actively engaging. The attendees came from diverse age groups, ranging from college students to mid-career professionals and experienced working professionals. Topics like Cash Flow Analysis, Taxation Planning, Debt Management, Risk Profiling, Investment Planning, and more were discussed. Designed to be interactive rather than a one-way lecture, the session encouraged attendee participation through activities such as budget control exercises and financial goal setting. Toward the end, participants raised questions on fund allocation, insurance planning, and education loans, leading to a productive discussion.

From 26 to 30 October 2025, JP-SSSC, Pune, organised a five-day interactive series on Madhyasth Darshan (Philosophy of Coexistence), conducted by Shri Yogesh Shastri. The sessions explored harmony and happiness within oneself, the family, society, and nature through a dialogue format. A total of 22 participants from diverse backgrounds attended the series, which kindled a deep interest to learn more and apply these ideas in everyday life. The Darshan aligns closely with the vision of JP-SSSC and also forms the foundation of Universal Human Values courses offered in higher education by AICTE. Session notes and reference material were shared, and follow-up sessions are planned.

A session on the Union Budget 2026 was conducted on 01 February 2026 with a total attendance of 15 participants, most of whom were college-going students. The objective of the session was to build participants’ understanding of the Union Budget, key economic concepts, and official budget documents. The session began with a primer on the Union Budget delivered by Mr. Ishant Deshmukh. This introductory segment helped participants understand the basics of the budget, its structure, and key concepts. Following the primer, the live coverage of the Union Budget was watched collectively. All participants actively took notes on the important takeaways, remained attentive, and were fully engaged throughout the session. After the live coverage, a discussion was conducted on the key highlights of the budget. Several participants shared their observations and major takeaways from this year’s Union Budget. Mr. Amol Sugandhi, Mr. Piyush Ozarde, and Mr. Ishant Deshmukh addressed questions from the participants and answered their queries. Afterwards, Piyush Ozarde and Ishant Deshmukh introduced participants to the official Union Budget website and relevant documents. They explained the different budgetary documents and discussed their significance.

On 14 March 2026, the centre hosted an insightful session by Dr Gurudas Nulkar on “Human–Wildlife Conflicts: An Estimation of Net Agricultural Losses in Maharashtra.” The presentation highlighted a critical yet underexplored issue: significant economic losses incurred by farmers due to crop damage caused by wild herbivores. The study estimates annual agricultural losses in Maharashtra to range from ₹10,000 crore to ₹40,000 crore, whereas compensation mechanisms currently cover less than 1% of these losses. This gap points to challenges in awareness, accessibility, and administrative processes. The research was extensive, drawing on more than 1,200 survey responses across the state and in-depth interviews with 40 families in the Konkan region, reflecting both scale and depth. Dr Nulkar also discussed innovative approaches, such as the Support-cum-Reward (SuR) model proposed by Dr Milind Watve, as well as the role of technology and AI in tracking wildlife movement and improving response systems. An app developed for farmers aims to simplify and streamline compensation processes. The session ended with engaging discussions among participants. While concluding the session, Mr Amol Phalke emphasized on key takeaways: addressing human–wildlife conflict requires interdisciplinary study, systemic approaches, collaborative efforts, futuristic thinking and long-term commitment, while balancing ecological conservation with livelihood security.

On 15 April 2026, the Centre hosted a session titled “AI and Wisdom: Can We Create Wise AI?” by Dr. Igor Grossmann, Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. The session was attended by more than 110 participants from diverse backgrounds and age groups. Dr. Grossmann explained that AI is highly efficient at processing large volumes of data. However, it lacks the meta-cognitive abilities required for context-sensitive judgment. Meta-cognition is central to wisdom. Referring to past fears around new technologies, he said that current concerns about AI follow a similar pattern. As intelligence is increasingly outsourced to machines, the need to cultivate human wisdom grows. He highlighted key risks such as automation bias, confabulations, “black box” systems, the “liar’s dividend,” and the weaponisation of AI. He also spoke about its limitations in handling cultural and social complexity. He said that we cannot rely only on intelligent AI to make decisions in radical uncertainty. We need wisdom to navigate these complex problems. He explained four components of wisdom: intellectual humility, acknowledgement of change, perspective-taking, and balancing interests. He said we need meta-cognitive monitoring and controlling to develop wise AI. This will be robust, explainable, cooperative, and safe. He then discussed the challenges in building wise AI. To conclude, while answering speculative concerns or risks regarding wiser machines, he wondered, “Rather than bearing the consequences of building foolish genius machines, shouldn’t we attempt to cultivate wisdom in humans and build wise machines?”

On 25 April 2026, the Centre hosted a session titled “Rethinking Social Session”, delivered by Ms. Supriya Kumthekar. It focused on the inspiration and insights she drew from the book “The Day the Chariot Moved” by Mr. Subroto Bagchi. It was attended by 60 participants from diverse backgrounds and age groups, including college-going students, civil services aspirants, and working professionals from corporate and social sectors. She spoke about how she feels inspired by Mr. Bagchi, co-founder of Mindtree, an Indian technology MNC, who shifted from the private sector to the government sector and worked as the Chairman of the Odisha Skill Development Authority to drive skill development initiatives. She also highlighted his approach of “crossover leadership,” bridging the corporate and public sectors to enable grassroots transformation in India. The session explored how meaningful change can emerge from the grassroots when leadership, purpose, and systems align. One of the wonderful ideas shared was the journey of “30 days, 30 districts, 3000 km”, a reminder that real leadership is not from offices but from being on the ground, listening, observing, and understanding people closely. Through stories from ITIs across Odisha, the session showed how institutions transformed when the focus shifted to students, purpose, and outcomes. Stories like that of Muni Tigga, who went on to become a loco pilot, highlighted how skill development is not just about employment but also about identity, dignity, and confidence. When we think about skill development, we usually connect it with jobs. However, the session helped us understand that it is much more than that. It is a tool for human transformation. It shifts our thinking from simply training for jobs to building identity, confidence, and self-worth. Through these stories, it became clear that change is not abstract; it is personal, lived, and deeply human. Another key idea was that development is not just about systems, policies, or numbers. It is about people. The session helped us see that real change happens when ordinary people are given dignity, opportunity, and the right support. These are people we often overlook, yet they are the ones quietly moving society forward. It also reminded us that real transformation does not come from one individual alone, but from many people coming together with a shared sense of purpose. The idea of “10-6-4-2” further illustrated how simple, relatable metrics and stories can create clarity and aspiration within institutions. Initiatives like leadership workshops for principals, exposure visits, and programmes such as “Nano Unicorns” and “Teach for Odisha” demonstrated how combining vision with execution can strengthen systems at scale. The idea of crossing over, from one sector to another and from comfort to challenge, also gave us something to reflect on. It encourages us to think about our own roles and how we can contribute in our own ways, even at the smallest level. Because in the end, change does not begin somewhere far away; it begins with each one of us, right where we are.

Other potential activities include study groups for interdisciplinary understanding of all social sciences; study tours; workshops or courses for developing competencies, skills, approaches, and attitudes; literature creation (magazines, articles, and booklets), lecture series, projects, etc.

Members

Amol Phalke – Coordinator
Subhashrao Deshpande – Mentor
Ashutosh Barmukh
Aditya Ponkshe
Piyush Ozarde
Amol Sugandhi
Shashishekhar Chaugule
Ishant Deshmukh

Summer Interns 2024-25

Chinmayi Masurkar
Dhaneshree Kandalgaokar
Sahil Joshii
Sayali Patil

Summer Interns 2025-26

Aastha Karhale
Asmita Shirose
Atharv Zol
Harsha Kumavat
Riya Raheja