Women’s Studies Centre website not updated since 2013

“It’s incredible that a research and study centre has not bothered to update records,” said the researcher.

Women’s Studies Centre was established in University of Pune in 1987 that with a number of aims, namely – to focus on women’s issues within specific ‘regions’, their history and political economy, to work in coordination with women’s organisations and voluntary groups across Maharashtra and to provide forum for debating crucial issues; to engage in teaching women’s studies in both English and Marathi; to publish easy-to-use learning and teaching material in both the languages.

It is one of the few centres in India to have successfully integrated a teaching, research, dissemination of information and extension programme in women’s studies at the post-graduate level.

Although Anagha Tambe currently holds the position of the director, the website carries her designation as “Assistant Professor and HoD’. While there are photos placed against names of the staff, the “qualification” section of all the faculties and staff members has been left blank. Even the “details” section that gives more details about each faculty and staff member has not been filled.

Other webpages of the website carry outdated information, almost four years old. For instance, the ‘Department profile’ webpage states – ‘The Centre has recently been awarded a grant by the Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust to develop Teaching capacity in Women’s Studies for the period 2008-2011. The centre is launching a Masters programme in Gender, Culture and Development from the academic year 2009- 2010.

The ‘News and Events’ section carries photographs without captions. Though the page carries information about various events, date and year of the events is missing. Interestingly, the ‘Upcoming Events’ section has no events.

A student (name withheld on request), who did masters from the Women’s Studies Centre in 2011, says, “As far as functioning of the institute is concerned, all the faculties and staff are always available for the students and help them as and when needed. I know for a fact that there is a person specially appointed to update the website, but I am assuming that because of the bureaucratic procedure to be followed, things either get delayed or not done at all, at least on the website.”