With 70 years behind it, and five reputed schools in social work, social sciences, health system studies and management, and industrial relations and rural development, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences is brimming with ideas and concrete plans for the new year and ahead.

To begin with, it is in talks with Wockhardt hospital, Mumbai, to double the number of students from 30 to 60 for its hospital and health administration programme. The institute's tie up with Wockhardt is the first of its kind and aims at introducing professionalism and good practices in managing hospitals.

Moreover, TISS director, Prof S Parasuraman, says this year the institute will start three new masters programmes -- in disaster management, social entrepreneurship, globalisation and labour. It's currently working with a 120-strong faculty and would require another 20 to expand, particularly in the social work school.

The school of social sciences at TISS is also working with the London School of Economics and Sciences Po, an institute for political studies in Paris, for research in core social sciences areas like social exclusion, immigrant population, making of world class cities etc.

"The idea is to look at collaboration with universities and schools which have values as ours and help in knowledge generation. There are several such strategic partnerships with foreign universities in the offing," says Parasuraman.

However, maintenance grants for TISS, a fully government-funded institute, have been decreasing over the years. "The government's support to social sciences research has been declining over the years. If we get more grants we can do some great work," he adds.

For the management and labour studies' programme, the institute plans to triple the number of students by the year 2010. TISS also wants to intensify research in areas of its choice.

"While we could continue to do sponsored research work, we are also generating funds for research in core and fundamental areas of our interest," he says.

TISS will intensify its programmes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand and Ladakh to reach out to a large number of students and deliver more programmes through online mode.

The institute is currently upgrading its infrastructure to implement the 54 per cent quota this year.

Web site: http://www.tiss.edu/