Patna: Patna University (PU) faculty member Supriya Krishnan of the personnel management and industrial relations (PMIR) department has bagged a prestigious two-year research project from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) to study the Indian family system as a source of cultural capital, with a grant of Rs15 lakh.Giving details of the project, Krishnan told the newspaper that the project will explore the Indian family system as a socio-spiritual institution that sustains unity and resilience despite contemporary challenges such as migration, changing livelihoods, and mental health stress. The two-year study will be conducted across four districts of Bihar, namely, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Chhapra and Bhojpur.She pointed out that the study aims to document nearly 60 cultural resources, including Maithili folk narratives, Bhojpuri migration songs, rituals, and shared family practices that shape everyday life. Using surveys, interviews, and culturally adapted research tools, the project will assess family well-being among 120 households, with a special focus on women and migrant families.By integrating Indian philosophical ideas, such as the Grihastha stage, with contemporary family psychology, the research would develop a culture-sensitive model of family resilience. A district-level family systems index (DFSI) will also be developed to support evidence-based social policy planning, she added.Congratulating the teacher for getting this prestigious award from the ICSSR, PU vice-chancellor Namita Singh said, “It is really a proud moment for the academic community of the state as the findings of the research will throw a new light on the relevance of Indian family system in the contemporary world and help our policy makers.”
