NEW DELHI: At a time when India’s family structures are facing pressure from urbanisation, migration and changing lifestyles, the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has called for major research on ‘kutumb vyavastha’ – the traditional Indian family system, in an initiative which reflects Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s concern about the protection of traditional family values.Under the scheme “Family and Family System in India” which it will launch on Friday, 150 projects will be granted financial support of a maximum of Rs 30 lakh each, with a total allocated budget of Rs 11.25 crore.The move comes as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) prepares to mark its centenary in 2025-26 by giving a fillip to its ‘Panch Parivartan’ agenda, which highlights five areas of change: family values, social harmony, eco-friendly living, self-reliance and civic duties. “The joint family system (kutumb vyavastha) is not just a living arrangement. It is an ecosystem of emotional bonds, economic support, intergenerational care and value transmission,” said Dhananjay Singh, member secretary, ICSSR. He added that the family has always been “the first physical and psychological space of socialisation, ethical experience and community interdependence”.The ICSSR has invited studies from sociology, anthropology, law, psychology and culture scholars for the purpose. Researchers are expected to look at 19 themes, such as ‘Kutumb Prabodhan’ (family awakening), the role of women in keeping cultural values alive, inter-generational value transmission, and the strain on caregiving in today’s fast-paced, globalised and highly competitive world. Topics such as technology’s effect on families, the balance between nuclear and joint households, migration-linked disruptions, generational conflicts, rising concerns around loneliness and social isolation, ageing populations and mental health challenges will also be part of the wide-ranging agenda.By stressing the family as the first space for ethical learning and community bonding, the initiative ties in with RSS’s view that “harmonious families create harmonious communities”. For the Sangh, its centenary is not just a symbolic milestone but a chance to spread this idea widely as part of its larger social outreach.Singh said that while modern work culture and urban life have weakened some traditions, Indian families remain “deeply rooted in emotions, care, devotion and sacrifice”. The ICSSR, he said, aims to generate studies that both capture these changes and revive indigenous knowledge, making family systems central to India’s social and cultural future. The scale of funding – higher than in many recent ICSSR thematic calls – signals that family and community studies are now being treated as a national research priority. Go to Source
