The Tata Institute of Social Sciences started the Two Year M. A. Programme in Peace and Conflict Studies (PaCS) in 2014 at Guwahati Off-campus in 2014. The Programme reflects the Institute’s engagement with issues of justice and peace, as well as acknowledges the Campus’ unique location and expertise in being able to impart skill-based, philosophically grounded and employment oriented degrees to prospective students. It has three principal components spread across four semesters, which combine to offer students a creative mix of theoretical grounding and empirical explorations, field-based experience, and an introduction to the world of policy making, donors and agencies working on peace building and conflict analysis.

The Programme has three major feature constituents: (a) course work, (b) field induction, and (c) dissertation, which includes fieldwork and writing. Each constituent is linked to the other in a manner that allows the student to make the most of a conscientious focus on the history, sociology and politics of conflict and violence, as well as ensuring that she/he is able to engage with wider range of field-based issues with peace practitioners, policy makers and agencies.

The Programme became a Centre within School of Social Sciences and Humanities in 2017. Our graduates are working in diverse sectors in various parts of the country, and many are pursuing PhD in India and abroad.