Centre for Study of Society and Secularism

What Centre for Study of Society and Secularism does

The Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) is a non-profit civil society organization founded in 1993 in Mumbai by Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer and other peace activists in the aftermath of the Mumbai riots. It operates as a peacebuilding, research, and interfaith dialogue institution with a stated mission of promoting communal harmony and secularism in India. Its primary beneficiaries are communities affected by communal violence, particularly religious minorities, alongside academic audiences engaged with secularism scholarship.

CSSS's portfolio spans publications, programs, and a decentralized field network. It publishes the quarterly Indian Journal of Secularism (IJS) academic journal, the fortnightly Secular Perspective magazine, fact-finding reports on communal incidents, and a digital catalogue of E-Books by its founder. Operationally, it supports seven independently run Peace Centres across Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Bhagalpur, Shamli, Kandhamal, Bhopal, and West Bengal, and runs recurring programs including annual memorial lectures (now in their 27th year), memorial awards, academic programs under the Institute of Islamic Studies, youth engagements, and cultural activities such as the 'Virasaat ke Bol' festival. Its communal violence monitoring draws on manual review of five Mumbai newspapers (The Hindu, The Indian Express, Times of India, Sahafat, and Inquilab), producing longitudinal data such as the documented 32 riots and 33 hate speeches recorded in 2023.

The organization's revenue model is donation- and grant-based, with no commercial pricing or paying customers. It maintains a small core team of approximately 6 employees in its Mumbai headquarters and distributes content through its website (csss-isla.com) and social channels. Distribution of field programming is handled through its Peace Centre network spanning 18 Indian states. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no acquisitions, and no commercial technology stack beyond a standard website and social media presence.

Name

Centre for Study of Society and Secularism

Legal name

Centre for Study of Society and Secularism

Website

https://csss-isla.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Centre for Study of Society and Secularism is a 1993-founded Mumbai-based nonprofit that promotes communal harmony, secularism, and interfaith dialogue in India through research publications, fact-finding reports, and a network of seven Peace Centres serving communities affected by communal violence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Society and Peacebuilding Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

Keywords

• Communal harmony research
• Interfaith dialogue programs
• Secularism education
• Peacebuilding services
• Civil society advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: CSSS operates as a civil society organization that relies on donations and grants to fund its operations, including peace centres, publications, events, and research activities. The organization has a 'Donate' section on its website.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) is a non-profit civil society organization founded in 1993 in Mumbai that conducts peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue, fact-finding investigations, and academic research on communal violence and secularism in India. The organization publishes periodicals including the quarterly journal 'Secular Perspective', books, reports, and operates a network of Peace Centres across multiple Indian states to promote communal harmony at the grassroots level.

Product overview

Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) is a civil society organization that operates as a multi-faceted peace and research institution rather than a commercial product company. Its portfolio consists primarily of publications (Secular Perspective fortnightly magazine, Indian Journal of Secularism quarterly journal, Fact Finding Reports, and E-Books), peace centre programs (seven independently run Peace Centres across India), educational initiatives (Institute of Islamic Studies, Academic Programs), recognition programs (Memorial Lectures and Memorial Awards), and community engagement activities (Youth Engagements and Cultural Activities). The organization focuses on promoting peace, communal harmony, and secularism through research, advocacy, and community interventions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secular Perspective

Quantifiable outcome

• CSSS documented 32 communal riots in 2023 compared to 41 in 2022 (a 24% decrease), though hate speeches increased by 27% from 26 in 2022 to 33 in 2023.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AAMRA EK Sachetan Prayas, West BengalcoreOthersAAMRA EK Sachetan Prayas Forum is one of CSSS's Peace Centres located in West Bengal. The organization has been involved in fact-finding visits during communal violence incidents, peacebuilding between communities, and relief work for affected populations.
• Inter-Religious Solidarity Council, MumbaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Inter-Religious Solidarity Council (IRSC) in Mumbai works with CSSS on interfaith initiatives including the Mumbai Parliament of Religions and the annual Conclave of Religions. The council addresses issues of communal harmony and ecological stewardship.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sabrang Trust: Indian civil society organization investigating communal incidents and advocating for communal peace — closely aligned with CSSS's fact-finding and interfaith reconciliation work in India.
• People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL): One of India's leading civil liberties organizations focused on defending civil and political rights, including minority rights and freedoms of expression — directly comparable to CSSS's work on communal harmony and minority protection.
• Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP): Mumbai-based civil society organization conducting fact-finding on communal violence and advocating for minority rights, with very similar grassroots monitoring and publications model to CSSS.
• Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD): An Indian secular organization promoting secularism, communal harmony, and minority rights — shares CSSS's core mission of advancing secular values in pluralistic Indian society.
• Karuna Center for Peacebuilding: Organization conducting interfaith peacebuilding, community reconciliation, and peace education programs — addresses similar grassroots peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue work as CSSS.
• National Council of Churches in India (NCCI): Indian ecumenical body promoting interfaith harmony, social justice, and communal peace through member churches and ecumenical programs — closely parallels CSSS's interfaith engagement model.

Emerging players

• International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS): Academic center focused on religious freedom, pluralism, and secularism research — engages with similar themes as CSSS's research and publications on communal harmony and secularism.
• Sadhana Centre for Peacemaking: Interfaith peacemaking organization working at community level on religious harmony and reconciliation — closely mirrors CSSS's grassroots peace centre concept.

Broad incumbents

• Religions for Peace: Global multi-religious coalition promoting interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding across 90+ countries — addresses the same interfaith dialogue and conflict prevention themes as CSSS but at a much larger international scale.
• Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions: International organization convening the global Parliament of Religions — comparable to CSSS's Mumbai Parliament of Religions and broader interfaith convening initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/csss4peace
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CSSS20
• Facebookfacebook.com/csss4peace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csss

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Study of Society and Secularism