Psychology Associations in India coming together to form a Federation- Ideas

The idea of coming together of psychology associations in India

It is unfortunate that the psychologists in India numbering more than 120 thousands are unable to come together for strengthening the profession in India. Keeping the profession's benefit aside, psychologists  seem to forget their ethical responsibility  to the society.
Probably many universities in India do not teach the ethical principles of a psychologist.

After I took over as secretary of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists in 
May 2008, took initiative in communicating with the office bearers of the other associations and also initiated a network to communicate among the present and past office bearers of different psychology association in India.

IFPA ( Indian Federation of Psychology Associations) 
Group Description
( https://in.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/IFPA-India/info)

Indian Federation of Psychology Associations:- Consists of representatives of National Level Psychology Associations and State Level Psychology Associations in India. To formulate policies for the psychologists in India. To regulate the licensing of professional psychologists in India. To stipulate the psychological testing and updating the professional competency of psychologists in India. Also to develop policy statements regarding the sale and distribution of psychology test materials in India. To work towards the formation of a National Psychological Council of India.
L.S.S.Manickam
Professor of Clinical Psychology
And Life Member of Several Psychology Associations in India

Founded :Jan 27, 2009

Initial Communications.

August 19, 2008

Dear Dr. Jai Mangal Deo
This is in response to one of your postings in the IP group.
This is an edited communication that I sent to Dr. Venkatesh Kumar on August 5, 2008.
I wish to hear your thoughts about this idea.
Since I am an office bearer of two of the organisations and life member of IAAP, please do not consider it as an official communication.
I am yet to hear from Dr. Venkatesh Kumar

Regards
Manickam

This is private communication

Dear Dr.Venkatesh Kumar

I have been wanting to communicate to you regarding two things.

1. I will be happy if you could send me the list of office bearers of IAAP. I want to forward it to the IP group.

... ...

2. There was some discussion about forming a federation of psychology associations in India. But it had not moved much.

Since we have the key office bearers of the three important organizations of psychology in India based in Mysore,

Indian Association of Applied Psychology

National Academy of Psychology and

Indian Association of Clinical Psychology.

I thought that if we network and share ideas, especially in the light of the Executive Committee of IAAP at Mysore during this weekend we can carry it forward.

The other associations have already had many rounds of discussions on this topic. But we are yet to hear the response from IAAP.

If possible kindly go through the websites of European Federation of Psychology Associations and that of the German Federation of Psychology Associations.

'We maintain the identity of each individual organizations and come together for common purposes'

I will be happy if you could send me reply.

Regards

Manickam

But this did not work out and had to wait till the three associations met at Bengaluru in 2012.

Purnima Singh Secretary of NAOP wrote in 2016.
"As we all know the first Department of Psychology,Calcutta University established in 1915 is celebrating Centenary during 2015-16 and in a way for all psychology professionals,this is a celebration of hundred years of psychology in India. This is a special occasion for  all psychology organizations, academic and practicing psychologists located in institutions or self employed  to pledge and commit individually and collectively to work for quality teaching, research, training and practice and also to resolve professional issues .  

Efforts have been made earlier.  This year the Centenary Conference on Psychology at Kolkata  in October  provided a platform to the three major associations( IAAP, IACP and NAOP ) of psychology in the country to come together and work collectively. It  got translated into concrete action plan.This was followed by a symposium on “Psychology Profession in India: Issues and Collective Actions by Psychology Organizations “ at the Annual Convention of the National Academy of Psychology ( NAOP, India) at Allahabad in February ,2016. The symposium was largely attended and presentations were made by Prof. U.K.Sinha (IACP), Prof. Jayanti Basu and Prof. NovRattan Sharma( IAAP) and Prof. Janak Pandey and Prof. Damodar Suar (NAOP). The symposium was planned to deliberate on concerns and issues with the aim of fostering the growth of the discipline of psychology as a science as well as a profession in the country. Specific pathways for collaborative engagement for the collective and integrated growth of the discipline through a Federation were discussed by speakers from all the three associations. At the end of the symposium it was resolved to establish the federation of psychology associations in India to facilitate collective action to advance quality of education, research, and practice of psychology. It was decided that a coordination committee  consisting of two members each from the three associations should be formed to work out the mission and objectives of the federation and begin working on common issues.  Let us now take necessary steps to move forward. 
best wishes, 
Purnima"
Dated June 16, 2016

Ground work done to move on....A consolidated document was prepared 8 years later in 2016, after presenting it in the common forums of different psychology associations. The idea of federation was agreed in principle, "... ... it was resolved to establish the federation of psychology associations in India to facilitate collective action to advance quality of education, research, and practice of psychology. It was decided that a coordination committee  consisting of two members each from the three associations should be formed to work out the mission and objectives of the federation and begin working on common issues" ( Singh, 2016).
Let us hope to take this forward with  accelerated momentum to make it a reality.

References:

Manickam, L.S.S. (2016). Towards Formation of Indian Federation of Psychology Associations: Let us Wake Up for Our Causes.  Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 42,1, 40-52. 
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287999560_Towards_Formation_of_Indian_Federation_of_Psychology_Associations_Let_us_Wake_Up_for_Our_Causes

Singh, (2016). Federation of Indian Psychological Association. Email communication with the author.