From the beginning of the 20th century, scholars have emphasized on the need for an expansion of the current ‘bio-psycho-social framework’ used in social work education to include spiritual aspects of human existence. Further, the academic literature shows analytical unanimity on the centrality of ‘spirituality’ in social work, yet it has been a challenge for social workers to integrate the same into a coherent bio-psycho-social-spiritual framework. In social work, ‘spirituality’ is gradually being visualized as a classical intervention (particularly in transpersonal domains) as well as in lending an epistemic base to the values and ethics of the profession. The underlying assumption being that the spiritual Self of the individual needs to be addressed and all other aspects of existence converge into, or diverge from, that spiritual Self.

Niṣkāma sevā (selfless social service) in Different Schools of Indic Thought: Alternate Models for Mainstream Social Work is being proposed as a two-day National seminar, on the 2nd and 3rd of March, to fortify the more recently social work conceptualizations of the whole person that includes ‘spirituality’ – which reflects in the social work literature with a broadened focus to embrace it. The seminar would deep dive into the centrality of the “individual self-making and Self-actualization’’ to acts of altruism’ that cuts across the rich spiritual legacy of Bhārata encompassing Sanātana dharma (with its sub traditions sampradāya), Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.