UGC sponsored Gandhian Studies Centre
(Estd 2004)
Directors: Dr Sheela Ahuja and Prof Nitin Arekar

Be the Change you want to see in the World”- Mahatma Gandhi

Established in 2005, under the initiative of Principal Dinesh Panjwani, the Gandhian Studies Centre of the College, was the first such Centre to be awarded to a College in the state of Maharashtra by the University Grants Commission under the scheme of Epoch Making Social Thinkers of India.

The main objectives of setting up the GSC at CHM College were as follows:

1. To usher in an era of another renaissance in post independence India by focusing on the work and thoughts of intellectuals and thinkers who have helped to revive the humanistic approach and humanitarian principles.
2. To explore and propagate indigenous ideas developed by epoch making thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Gautama Buddha, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and others who have had a lasting impact and provided the cultural and ethical identity, to India among the youth, teachers and community
3. To prepare the ground for the reconstruction of human society on a moral, ethical and spiritual foundation for a non-violent society, keeping in view the rich tradition of non-violence and social justice from Mahatma Gautama Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi and establishing its relevance in contemporary society.
4. To work out strategies for the benefit of the depressed classes and marginalized groups in society.

The office bearers of the GSC since its inception have been as follows:
President: Principal Dinesh Panjwani (2005 to August 2009)
                  Dr Milind Vaidya (September 2009 onwards)

Directors: Prof Neelu Bhatia (2004 to 2006)
                 Prof Ashwini Gokhale (2006 to 2008)
                 Mr Subhash Athavle (2006 to 2008)
                 Dr Sheela Ahuja (2008 onwards)
                 Prof Nitin Arekar (2008 onwards)
Other faculty members who have been actively associated with the growth of the Centre are the Vice Principal, Prof Jyotika Ozarkar, Prof Aarti Pasarkar, Dr Charanjeet Kaur, Prof Prema Gurbuxani, and Dr Savitsmita Chawan.

The main activities that the GSC has taken up in pursuance of these objectives are as follows:
Conferences:

1. “Relevance of the Political Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi for the Modern University Youth” in December 2005.
2. “International Conference on Empowerment of Women through Adult Education” in September 2007.

Certificate Courses and Workshops on:

1. “Gandhian Values in the Development of leadership among the community.”
2. “Gandhian Values in the Development of leadership among the university youth.”
3. “Understanding of Leadership”
4. “Empowerment through Gandhian Thought and Practice.”
5. “Awakening through Gandhian Thought and Practice.”
6. “Gandhian Thought for Youth”
7. Empowerment of Women - Tools and Strategies”

The workshops included the development of training and teaching modules in all the aspects mentioned above and they were organised for specific target groups like police personnel, journalists, elected women representatives, NSS volunteers, employees of the UMC, Students’ Council and the Adult Education Group of the WSC among others.
Field Action and Outreach:
The field work and outreach programmes of the GSC comprise of the organization of:

1. Bhajan Prabhat – on the 2nd January and 2nd October every year at the College Foreground
2. Bhajan Sandhya – on the eve of the re-opening day of the College every year at Mahaganpati Temple, Titwala
3. Shahid Diwas ‘Sarva Dharma Samabhav’ – on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi every year at the University of Mumbai lawns
4. Chandi Utsav in December
5. Diwali Celebrations at Shantivan Ashram, Panvel

All these three programmes presented Bhajans and prayers from all major religions to inculcate spiritual values. The Shahid Diwas programme in January 2009 presented a tableau on the message of Gandhiji and it won accolades from all the dignitaries present. The American Information Resource Centre, Mumbai, invited the GSC to present the tableau at the reception to Martin Luther King (Jr) in Mumbai in March 2009. The Centre is in receipt of a letter of appreciation from the Consul General of the American Consulate, Mr Michael Flomsbee for this programme.
Programmes related to Conflict Resolution non-violence and non-violent protest movements, empowerment of women, rural development and related topics:
The GSC, since its inception, has been very actively involved in the Adult Education Programme (AEP) of the WSC. Further, all the modules that have been prepared for the workshops and certificate courses were used in the training programmes of the AEP group.
One of the main thrusts of Gandhian thought and practice is the development of a serene and non-violent attitude and its focus on indigenous systems of education and healthcare. Keeping this in mind, the GSC actively assisted the WSC in organizing lectures and therapy sessions on alternative medicines, particularly ayurveda and household remedies.
All the programmes of the GSC incorporated a strong yoga component for the same purpose. Every programme organized began with sessions on yoga which set the right spirit for the rest of the programmes.
The NSS unit of the College organizes a 10-day camp every year in a village in the vicinity of the townships of Ulhasnagar, Ambarnath, Badlapur, Murbad and Karjat. An essential component of these camps has been a lecture series by the GSC. Apart from the students, the members of the villages were motivated to attend these lecture series.
The NSS unit also undertakes active community work at the camp sites, including the construction of public toilets, roads etc and the GSC has been an active partner in this endeavor. Basic literacy classes and classes in personal hygiene were also conducted by NSS and GSC volunteers in the two camps.
Sadhu Vaswani Day is celebrated as Meatless Day on November 25 every year. The College commemorates this occasion by organizing a Peace Rally in which all the educational institutes of Ulhasnagar take part. Since 2005, the Peace Rally has been organized by the Gandhian Studies Centre.
Partnerships:
The active partnerships of the GSC in its major projects are as follows:
Outside Agencies:
Sarvodaya Mandal, Mumbai, Yashwantrao Chawan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU), Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC), Ambernath Municipal Council (AMC), Karjat Municipal Council (KMC), Badlapur Municipal Council (BMC), Kaivalyadhama (Lonavala), Department of Adult and Continuing Education and Extension, University of Mumbai, Giants International Group of Kalyan Metro Chapter, the NGOs Akshara, Annapurna and Media Matters, The American Information Resource Centre, Mumbai.
College Wings:
National Service Scheme, Women’s Development Cell, UGC sponsored Women’s Studies Centre, the departments of English, Psychology, Hindi, Marathi, History, Foundation Course, Mass Media, Management Studies, Chemistry, Botany, Economics, Geography and Environmental Studies.