CHANDIGARH: 24.3.2008: The Department of History is organizinga Diamond Jubilee Workshop on Problems and Perspectives of HistoryTeaching (24-26March 2008).In his Opening Remarks, Prof. R.C. Sobti, the Vice-Chancellor of the Panjab University referred to the linkagesbetween social sciences and life sciences. Prof. Indu Bangaintroduced the theme of the the workshop that focusesprimarily on the purpose and nature of history teaching. Prof. Satish Chandra, a distinguished historian and formerChairman of the UGC delivered the Inaugural Address.
Prof. SatishChandra dwellt on the challenges faced by socialsciences due to the growth of science and technology and its impact on life. For him, history meant studying society inits entirety which included not only political but also economic, social andcultural aspects. He underlined theimportance of regional and local history. He added the need to incorporate the use of different media at school,college and University level to make history morelively. Prof. J.S. Grewal in hispresidential remarks pointed out that as past, present and future areintricately linked, History teaching should also be reoriented. He also stressed upon the importance ofliterary sources for the historian.
This workshop aims at bringing the University and College teachers from within and outside the region to confront problems and challengesespecially before the discipline of History today. In fact, social science disciplines as awhole have been at discount lately over the past two decades or so. The sessions in the Workshop would be dealingwith the common questions of the relevance and pedagogy of these subjects atCollege and University levels.