Dr. Amrita Bagchi

Dr. Amrita Bagchi

Position Assistant Professor in WBES
Department History
Specialization Social History of Science and Technology and Medicine

Education

Degree Field of Study Institution Year
M. A. History Jadavpur University 2003
Ph. D. History Jadavpur University 2011

Contact Information

  • bagchiamrita@yahoo.com

Teaching Experience

  • Since 2009

Colleges served

  • Assistant Professor (WBES) and Head in Department of History in Taki Government College. (7th January 2009 to 29th June 2015).
  • Assistant Professor (WBES) in Department of History) in Bethune College. (30th June- till date). (Served as Head of the Department from 1.08.2015 to 11.08.2016)

Research Interests

 The research interest is mainly on the problem of the rapid expansion of the private nursing homes and hospitals in post Independence Kolkata and the gradual degeneration of the public healthcare sector from a historical and sociological perspective. The democratic government in India - influenced by her nationalist aspirations, the welfare state movement in the U.K and the socialist developments in the USSR, undertook the responsibilities to improve the quality of the life of country's population. As a result, the post 1947 era witnessed some far-reaching developments in public health services viz. vertical programmes, primary health centers, family planning welfare programme, the community health volunteers (guide), scheme, etc. However, the political vision to establish a comprehensive health service system in the aftermath of independence was short-lived. It was however from the late 60s, glaring witnesses came to the forefront. As of the entire country, in West Bengal too, the public sector is vast but it is sorely under -funded and not nearly large enough to meet the current health need of a huge population. More significantly, in recent years, one of the major forces of degeneration was the considerable involvement of western countries in shaping social (including health), economic and political polices of the developing countries in the form of pressures for privatization under the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) from the late 80s. Reduction of public expenditure on health and subsequent privatization affected mostly the poor challenging their right to health.

Teaching Responsibilities

Undergraduate Course in History as per University of Calcutta Syllabus (CBCS and NEP)

 

Publications

Books

  • Health Care in Post-Independence India: Kolkata and the Crisis of Private Health Care Services, (978-0-367-76296-4), UK: Routledge, 2022

Articles in books

  • "Neo Liberal Turn in The Domain of Health Care: The Emergence of Corporate Health Care Sector in India" in Covid-19 in India, Disease, Health and Culture. (978-1-032-29268-7) UK: Routledge, 2022
  • "Biswo Hote Thaki Dure Andarer Antapure" in Prohor Punthi: Otimari 2020, September 2020, ISBN 978-81-948279-0-0
  • "Creating Sickness" - The Latest Disease of Health Care: Published in Beyond the Horizon : A Prismatic Collection of Social Sciences (2018) , Vol I , ISBN 978-81-934244-5-2.Anchalik Itihas O LokCharchaSanskriti Kendra.
  • Published a paper titled 'BharatbarsherSwasthyaSankat'- EktiArthaSamajikPorjalochona'in ItihasEshana,, Kolkata (2018), ISBN 978-81-929386.
  • Written about six places in Bengal in the collection titled 'Dictionary of Historical Places : Bengal 1757-1947'Ed by Prof: Ranjan Chakraborty, Primus Books, Delhi, 2013, ISBN 9380607415

Research Papers

  • Published an article titled 'The Developmental Phase of Private Health Care Sector: History of Nursing Homes in Early Years after Independence in Kolkata' Heritage vol VII, 2020. ISSN 2349-9583
  • Published an article 'Medicalisation of Diseases:A Crisis in the Domain of Social Health'Science and Culture vol 86,no 11-12, , 2020 . ISSN 0036-8156
  • Published a paper titled ' Changes in Health Care Culture: Growth of Private and Corporate Hospitals under the impact of Globalisation in Post Independence Kolkata' in The Quarterly
  • Review of Historical Studies Vol LVII Nos 3 &4 October 2017-March 2018.ISSN -0033-5800
  • "Reforms or Dictates: The Role of the Donor Agencies on Health Care in West Bengal" in Global South -Sephis e-magazine, Volume 7, No. 3, July 2011. ISSN 2347-8594

Conference Proceedings

  • Published a paper title 'Public Health in Post IndependenceKolkata'in the Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 78th Session held in Jadavpur University, Kolkata , 28th -30th December, 2017.ISSN 2249 -1937 (2018)
  • 'Metamorphosis of Health Care: The Transformation of "Private to Corporate" Health Care in Post 1947 Kolkata'in the Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 71st Session held in University of Gaurbanga ,Maldah , February 2011. ISSN 2249 -1937.

Other Publications

  • Reviewed the autobiography titled 'Doctor' by Dr Mani Chhetri and the review was published in the Monthly Bulletin of Asiatic Society, Vol, XLIX, No7,July 2020.

Newspaper Articles

  • Report titled 'SWASTHYAPARISEBA? NALABHSARBASHYABYABSHA?', published in Kalantar, 20th March 2017.
  • Report titled 'AMRIR AGNIKANDE MRITYUMICHHIL: KICHHU PRASHNA, KICHHU BHABNA', published in Kalantar, 19 December 2011.
    .

Conference/ Seminar Paper Presentation Details

Full papers in Conference Proceedings

  • Presented a paper titled Emergence of Private Medical Education in India: Higher Education under the Threat of Globalisation' in Section IV: Contemporary India in the 80th Session of the Indian History Congress, held in Kannur University , Kerala , from 28th -30th December 2019.
  • Presented a paper titled 'Medicalising Human Emotions: Role of Advertisements in Medical Marketing' in Two Days International Seminar on 24rth and 25th August 2019 held on 24rth and 25th August 2019 held in Sanskrit University and College, organized by BangiyaItihas Samiti Kolkata.
  • Presented a paper titled 'Globalising Health: The Emergence of Corporate Health Care Sector in India' in the IQAC Sponsored Two Days International Seminar on South Asian Literature , Culture and Society on 27th- 28th,2019,February Barabazar Bikram Tudu Memorial College, Purulia, West Bengal.
  • Presented a paper titled 'Growth of Private Medical Colleges in India' : An Adverse Impact of Globalisation in the Domain of Higher Education' in State Government Sponsored Two Days National Seminar on Education and Culture on 4rth and 5th April 2018 at Vivekananda College for Women , Kolkata.
  • Presented a paper titled 'Public Health in a Newly Independent City: Some Observations' in the 78th Session of the Indian History Congress, held in Jadavpur University , Kolkata , from 28th -30th December 2017.
  • Presented a paper titled "Bharatbarsher ' Swasthya' Sankat - ektiArthaSamajikParjalochana" in the State Government Sponsored State Level Seminar in Collaboration with Vidyasagar Evening College and BangiyaItihasSamity, Kolkata Vidyasagar Evening College , Kolkata , on 4th November 2017.
  • Presented a paper titled 'Respectful Friendliness and Deep Malice' Contradiction Between Tagore and Nibedita, in a Two Days National Seminar , organized by Institute of Historical Studies , sponsored by Department Of Higher Education, Government of West Bengal, on 8th and 9th September 2017 at the Institute of Historical Studies, Kolkata.
  • Presented a paper titled 'Medicalisation of Life' A New Syndrom Of Health Care Sector in the 3rd Annual International Conference of History organized by the PashchimbangaAnchalikItihas O LokSanskritiCharcha Kendra, on 1st and 2nd July 2017 at Bidhannagar Government College.
  • Presented a paper titled 'Nineteenth Century Calcutta and its Public Health : Reflections in Contemporary Bengali Journals and Newspapers.' in the National Seminar on Nineteenth Century Bengal : A Capsule Survey, organized by D.L.Memorial Library, Silchar, in collaboration with the Centre for Bangladesh Studies, Assam University, on 19th and 20th September 2016.
  • Paper titled 'Changing Health Care Culture : Expansion of Private and Corporate Hospitals under Global Compulsion' was presented in Fourth International Congress for Bengal Studies in Japan 2015 at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.

Resource Person (Since 2015)

  • Speaker at Bethune in a webinar organized by Inner Wheel club of Santiniketan (in collaboration with Inner Wheel club of Survey park Stars and Inner Wheel club of Greater Kolkata) on "women and mental health" on 10.10.2023.
  • Delivered lecture at Legal Aid Services (WB) on "trauma counselling with PTSD" on 30.9.2023.
  • Speaker in a panel discussion at 1st Annual School Meet on 22.6. 2023 on "Cultivating Minds. Hearts: Supporting Adolescent Mental Health in School Environments" organized by Change Initiatives and Capgemini.
  • Resource person at Central Detective Training, Govt of India in soft skill development of Police Officers on 3.5.2023
  • Delivered lecture on " Awareness on sexual abuse at East Calcutta Girls College On 5.1.2023
  • Resource person at Bethune College on 3.1.2023 on Awareness on Psychological Counselling and Well-being of students.
  • Delivered series of invited lectures on Organizational Behaviour at St. Xaviers College on 4th, 11, 18th, 25th November, 2nd, 16th December 2022 till 23 rd March,2023
  • Speaker in Post graduate Diploma Course in Counselling (8th Batch) on Post-Traumatic Stress disorder in Legal Aid Services, West Bengal on 19.11.2021.
  • Speaker in two days interactive programme on-E-counseling sessions to overcome stress during pandemic organized by Hooghly Mohsin College on June 3rd and 7th, 2021.
  • Speaker in "Interactive Programme on-Covid-19 Awareness: Staying Connected" organised by Shahid Matangini Hazra Govt College for Women - Purba Medinipur on 29.5.2021.
  • Delivered an invited talk on "Understanding Gender from Psychological Perspective." in the One Day State Level Webinar entitled "Gender Sensitization and Violence against Women" organized by Women Cell in association with IQAC, Shree Agrasen Mahavidyalaya, Dalkhola, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal held on 3rd April,2021.
  • Organized and speaker as the Director in a webinar "Amader Katha"(Our Narratives) of the Women's Studies Centre, Bethune College to observe International Women's Day 2021 on 25.3.2021.
  • Chaired Sessions in Two Day Online Orientation Programme on 4.2.2021 and UG Semesters V (Theory and practical)Prioritized Syllabus of Psychology Under CBCS organized by Department of Psychology, Asutosh College, Muralidhar college Kolkata in Collaboration with UGBOS In Psychology, CU & Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Bethune College, Kolkata, 4th and 5th February, 2021
  • Speaker in International Training , Course for Police Officers of the level of S.p/ Ins/ Dy. SP of Srilankan Police organized by Central Detective Training Institute Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India on' Psychological Approaches towards Interrogation' on 29.1.2021.
  • Chaired Sessions in Two Day Online Orientation Programme on 28.1.2021 and UG Semesters I, (Theory and practical)Prioritized Syllabus of Psychology Under CBCS organized by Department of Psychology, Asutosh College, Muralidhar college Kolkata in Collaboration with UGBOS In Psychology.
  • Organized and speaker at a State Level Webinar as Director, Women's Studies Centre, Bethune College on Women's Health in association with The Bengal Obstetric and Gynaecological Society on 18.12.2020.
  • Chaired a Session in Three Day Online Orientation Programme on UG Semester IV Prioritized Syllabus of Psychology Under CBCS organized by Department of Psychology, Bethune College, Kolkata in Collaboration with UGBOS In Psychology, CU & Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Bethune College, Kolkata, 24th -26th November, 2020
  • Speaker in a webinar on Virus, Violence and Gender: Combating Gender Based Violence in the Time of Pandemic organized by Diamond Harbour University on 15.10.2020.
  • Speaker in a state level webinar on "Cries behind the Closed Room: Covid 19, Domestic Violence and Mental Health" organized by Shahid Matangini Hazra Govt College for Women on 25.9.2020.
  • Speaker at Legal Aid Services West Bengal (LASWEB),in "Post Graduate Diploma Course in Counselling". (7th Batch) on Stress Management with special focus on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on 28/08/2020.
  • Speaker at National Web Lecture Series: 1. Pandemic: Introspections from Varied Perspectives on Boosting Psychological Immunity Amidst COVID-19 19 days organized by Govt. General Degree College, Singur on 26.8.2020.
  • Organized webinar in Women's Studies Centre in collaboration with IQAC Bethune College Kolkata, on the topic 'Anatomy Is Destiny' on 12.7.2020.
  • Speaker in an International Webinar Panel Discussion conducted by the International Justice Mission Kolkata and the Department of Social Work, St Xavier's University, Kolkata. COVID 19: Emerging Cyber Threats, Psychosocial Dimensions and the Way Forward for Students on 26.6.2020.Speaker in a National Webnar in a Panel Discussion on 19 June 2020 titled - 'Redefining work stress to convert into Professional Harmony' Amity University.
  • Speaker at Hooghly Mohsin College to hold an e-learning session on 09.06.2020 at 11 am to address stress-related issues that our students are experiencing in the current Covid-19 Lockdown period.
  • Speaker at a departmental seminar e-learning session organized by the Dept. of English, Hooghly Mohsin College on "stress related issues during current lockdown period" on 14.4.2020.
  • Guest of Honour at Marble Box on International Womens' Day, 8.3.2020.Delivered lecture on "Women at the Workplace".
  • Speaker in a seminar on 'Mental Health awareness' organized by Netaji Nagar College on 7th December 2019.
  • Chaired a session in a Three Day National conference organized by Dept of Applied Psychology, Kaji Nazrul University in collaboration with ICSSR Kaji Nazrul University titled 'Entitlement, Equality and Mental Health: Contemporary Psychosocial Perspectives. (November, 2019).
  • Speaker in a Plenary Session in Three Day National conference organized by Dept of Applied Psychology, Kaji Nazrul University in collaboration with ICSSR Kaji Nazrul University titled 'Entitlement, Equality and Mental Health: Contemporary Psychosocial Perspectives. (November, 2019).
  • Presented Symposium in a Three Day National conference organized by Dept of Applied Psychology, Kaji Nazrul University in collaboration with ICSSR titled 'Entitlement, Equality and Mental Health: Contemporary Psychosocial Perspectives (8th-10th November, 2019).
  • Judge for a poster session at a National level NAAC sponsored seminar on 'Quality Enhancement of student centric Teaching, Learning and Evaluation Process organized by IQAC, Bidhannagar College on November 15, 2019.
  • Speaker and Chair in in Syllabus workshop in Two Days workshop Programme on UG Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) sem III organised by Dept of Psychology, Loreto college in collaboration with UG BOS in Psychology, University of Calcutta on 26th and 27th July, 2019.
  • Conducted an Interactive Session and stress management for PG students of English, Hooghly Mohsin College. 5.4.2019.
  • Resource person at the Dept of Social Work, St. Xaviers University, Kolkata on World Social Work Day Workshop on Promoting Human Relations in Everyday Life on 25.3.2019.
  • Resource person in Syllabus workshop in Two Day Orientation Programme for the Execution of the Curriculum of UG Second Semester in Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) 2019 organised by Dept. of Psychology, Asutosh College in collaboration with UG BOS in Psychology, University of Calcutta. 16th and 23rd Feb 2019.
  • Resource person in Refresher course in women's studies in UGC-Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC) University of Calcutta on Women, mental health and wellbeing. Course name gender sensitization for professional development of teachers of different university and colleges held on 16.11.2018.
  • Conducted Workshop at Royal Global University on communication and Transactional Analysis. 2.11.2018.
  • Speaker at Legal Aid Services, West Bengal (LASWEB) in Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling (5th batch) on Theories of Personality Development held on 8.9.2018.
  • Speaker at a live Phone-in programme titled "Sudhu Tomar Jonnyo" at All India Radio, Kolkata, Yuvavani section on 19.6 2017.
  • Resource person at Central Detective Training School, Govt. of India. Topic: Counselling of child victims in a course on "Investigation of Crime against children &Juvenile Justice" on 17.5.2017.
  • Speaker at Legal Aid Services, West Bengal (LASWEB) in Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling (4th batch) on Personality Development held on 6.5.2017.
  • Presented paper in symposium at "National Conference on Expanding Frontiers of Applied Psychology, organized by Department of Applied Psychology, University of Calcutta on 4th March, 2017.
  • Resource person in the 11th, 21day certificate course on legal and Psychological Counselling in Distress, Women's Studies Research Centre, Human Rights Law Network C.U. on "intervention strategies for post traumatic crisis management" on 9.4.2016, 13.4.2016 and 20.4.2016.
  • Delivered Keynote address on Work Stress and Psychological Well Being in PG. Course in Industrial and Organizational Psychology West Bengal State University on 30.9.2015.
  • Delivered lecture on Communication and Conflict in PG Course in Industrial and Organizational Psychology West Bengal State University, on 18.9.2015.
  • Presented Paper in National Seminar on Paradigm Shift in Business Practices & Corporate Management organized by Institute of Business Management (Affiliated to Jadavpur University), The National Council of Education, Bengal on April, 24-25, 2015.
  • Delivered lecture on Industrial Training and Development: Methods and Implications in the PG Course in Industrial and Organizational Psychology organized by West Bengal State University on 24.2.2015.

Grants and Awards

  • Received International Foreign Travel Grant from Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) for her visit to Japan and presenting a paper in the Fourth International Congress for Bengal Studies , held in the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, December, 2015.

Professional Affiliation

  • Life Member of Pashimbanga Itihash Samsad
  • Life Member of Indian History Congress
  • Life Member of Institute of Historical Studies

Administrative Responsibility

  • Head, Department of Psychology, Bethune College( since 2014)
  • Secretary, Teachers Council, Bethune College
  • Subject expert and Govt. representative in different interview boards and colleges