In 2012, a three-member team consisting of Pitamber Sharma, Bal Gopal Baidya and Dwarika Nath Dhungel was commissioned by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare to prepare a comprehensive strategic plan document of a Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in Nepal, which would serve as ‘an apex institution devoted to the promotion and support of quality research in the social sciences’. The team was mandated to prepare a situation analysis that would include: i) an overview of the policy, social and political context that identifies all the stakeholders, the state of art of social sciences in Nepal and concrete lessons or practices that needs to be mainstreamed; ii) a strategic plan consisting of an overview of the vision, mission, values, goals and objectives of the proposed SSRC; and iii) an institutional development plan. The report was completed in December 2012.
Pitamber Sharma, former Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission and former Professor of Geography at Tribhuvan University, will make a presentation based on the findings of the study. Commenting on his presentation will be Kathryn S. March, Professor of Anthropology and Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Asian Studies, Cornell University and Pratyoush Onta, Chairperson of Martin Chautari and Member, Social Science Baha, followed by a floor discussion.