29 August 2017 - Ambassador Ma. Teresita C. Daza visited the Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) and met with its officials- Dr. George Mathew, Founder Director and Chairman; Dr. Ash Narain Roy, Director; Dr. Partha S. Ghosh, Senior Fellow; and Shri Om Prakash Mathur, Senior Fellow in the ISS office in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi on 29 August 2017. Embassy Attache Eleanor G. de la Cruz joined the Ambassador during the visit.

The introductory meeting focused on ISS programs, activities and advocacies. It also sought to explore possible areas of collaboration particularly in local government administration (e.g. federalism and best practices on decentralization processes).

The ISS was registered under the Societies Registration Act of India 1860 on 28 August 1985. D.T. Lakdawala, renowned economist and former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Government of India was the first Chairman and Dr. George Mathew was the Founder Director of the Institute. ISS serves as a think-tank and a resource center on local democracy, democratic decentralization, human rights and women’s political empowerment at grassroots level.