Guidelines

 For

 Providing full or partial financial assistance to Organize Seminars/Conferences in Social Sciences in India

             

Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) provides full or partial financial assistance to organize seminars/ conferences in India in order to promote social sciences in India. At present this activity is divided as follows:

1.                  Requests for financial assistance above Rs.75, 000/- are considered by the ICSSR office in New Delhi.

2.                  Requests for financial assistance less than Rs.75, 000/- are considered by the ICSSR Regional Centers of respective regions.         (See icssr website for addresses of regional centers)

 

I.                    Objectives

1.                  To provide full or partial financial assistance to promote academic activities such as organizing seminars/workshops and conferences on themes of contemporary relevance in different disciplines of social science preferably with an interdisciplinary multi-disciplinary / trans-disciplinary perspectives by academic bodies and institutions including NGO’s and voluntary organizations engaged in social science research also.

2.                  Keeping in view the significance of the theme, these may be sponsored and organized in collaboration with the ICSSR also.

3.                  To support seminars/ conferences / workshops which would initiate and conduct policy oriented debates, to make amendments and modifications, to existing socio-economic policies, to generate wider awareness about issues and counterpoints, exchange of views and opinion among experts and scholars.

 

II.  Scope:

1.                 The seminar / conference / workshop proposals should fall in one of the 17 social science disciplines, such as, Anthropology (Social and Cultural), Commerce, Demography (social, cultural,), Economics, Education (social, financial, economical, organizational), Geography (human and cultural), History (contemporary socio-economic and political- mainly post independence), International Relations, Journalism, media and communications, Law ( social, economic , commercial) (Socio- Linguistics,  Management (Organisational, labour, enterprises), Political Science, Psychology (Social and Cultural), Public Administration, Sociology, Social Work (action research). Besides these disciplines, relevant inter-disciplinary, multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary subjects will also be considered.

 

2.                 Depending up on the merit of the proposal, the ICSSR may provide full or partial assistance.

 

3.                 Besides, full or partial assistance as mentioned above, the ICSSR might also co-sponsor this activity with other organizations.

 

 

III. Organisations Eligible for Assistance:

 

Specifically, proposals submitted by an organization should fall in one of the following categories:

             Category-I:     a) Central universities

             b) State universities

             c) Colleges affiliated to either a or b above

             d) Institutions of National Importance receiving grants from

                  UGC/ Central government

            Category-II:     Research Institutes funded by ICSSR, Central Government,

                                    State   Government

            Category-III:   Deemed Universities

            Category-IV:  Other NGOs/ Societies engaged in promotion of social science research Organizations/ Institutes or NGO’s to be eligible to seek assistance under this scheme must be non-profit making and must be registered under the Societies Registration Act.  Also, funds would be provided to only those having done some work in the field of social science research for a period of at least two to three years on the date of applying for assistance   (subject to the verifications of Institutional status as per ICSSR Form-S)

            Category-V:     Social Science discipline based Associations

 

IV. Procedure

All applications should be submitted by post (unless suggested otherwise) to the ICSSR preferably between six and three months before the event. Applications received less than three months before the event will be considered only with prior approval of the Chairman.

 

All the applications should enclose I) filled in prescribed Form, 2) Concept Note with Sub themes  (500-1000 words), 3) budget estimates indicating other expected sources, 4) tentative seminar programmes, 5) confirmed paper writers from India and abroad, 6) brief CV of the Convener(s).

 

Under the scheme, applying Organizations / Institutes should send information about the organization in the enclosed Form-S.

 

The proposals are to be evaluated by an Expert Committee setup for the purpose by the Chairman ICSSR and will be approved as recommended by the Committee.

The Committee meetings will be held from time-to-time (at least 5 times in a year) to consider and decide the proposals received subject to availability of fund.

The ICSSR may send one or more observers from its officers to attend and or participate in the seminar/ conference / workshop

 

 

V. Types of expenditure permissible under this assistance?

The seminar organizers send budget estimates on a variety of items, which are not to be normally permissible e.g. international travel, cost of publications, overhead charges, etc.  Therefore, it is suggested that we allow budgeting on specific heads that are essential for the organization of the seminars/conferences/ workshops and limit to these only. 

 The following heads may be considered as permissible.

S.No.	Particulars	Permissible**
1.	International Travel	No
2.	Domestic Travel	Yes up to 10 to paper writers only
3.	Accommodation to foreign participants	Yes up to 5 paper writers/scholars
4.	Accommodation to Indian participants	Yes up to 15 paper writers/scholars
5.	Tea snacks, Lunch and dinner	Yes up to 50 participants
6.	Transport	Yes
7.	Stationery	Yes
8.	Xeroxing	Yes
9.	Secretarial assistance	Yes
10.	Contingency	Yes up to Rs.10,000/-
11.	Honorarium to paper writers	Yes up to Rs.5,000/-
12.	Per-diem to the participants	No
13.	Publications	No
14.	Duration of the seminar/conference	Up to 5 days depending up on the number of paper writers
15	Any other (specify)

** The above limits are suggestive. There may be variation according to the merit of the proposal.

     

 

 

VI. Other Terms and Conditions for the release of Funds :      

               

            The financial and other terms and conditions will be as follows:

1. The institution/organization should inform the Council any financial assistance received from other sources for the same seminar.
2. The approved funds will be released in two installments. The first installment of 90% will be released on receipt of the Advance receipt. The second and final installment of 10% or less as the case may be will be released after the conclusion of the Seminar on receipt of two copies of seminar papers / proceedings, audited statement of accounts and utilization certificate on 19-A Form duly certified by the auditor. The Advance Receipts for the release of the funds should be signed by the authorized finance officer (e.g. Registrar, Principal, Finance Officer, Director, etc) of the organization where money is to be released.
3. The accounts related to the seminar for which assistance is received under the scheme will be made available for internal as well as external audit.
4. The grantee organization shall be liable to refund the entire grant amount together with interest @ 6% from the date of encashment of the cheque in case the event did not take place within the stipulated period or the financial year for which the grant had been released.
5. The decision of the Member-Secretary, ICSSR on the question whether there has been breach or violation of any of the terms and conditions mentioned herein as well as in the sanction order/letter, shall be final and binding on the grantee.