PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The newly established Centre for Hindu Studies at Doon University is offering 20 seats for students to enroll this year, informed the dean of the School of Management and Students Welfare, H C Purohit who is currently serving the Centre for Hindu Studies as the coordinator.
Postgraduate-level teaching for the MA in Hindu Studies will commence under this centre from the current academic session. In an official communication, the university has directed Purohit to ensure that all arrangements are put into place for the operation of the centre. This includes creating syllabus and curriculum as well as the completion of required regulatory procedures on time.
Purohit said that the MA in Hindu Studies would begin this year with 20 seats being made available for enrollment. The selection of students for the programme will be based on an entrance test as well as the Common University Entrance Test (CUET). Under Hindu Studies programme, students will learn about the Vedas, Mahabharata, Ramayana and other ancient texts. This will help them to equip themselves for careers in research, teaching and other fields.
According to UGC norms, the programme is designed to eventually include one professor, two associate professors and four assistant professors. However, since this is the initial phase of the programme, only assistant professors will be required.
He further informed that to design the MA in Hindu Studies programme, the vice- chancellor of the university, Surekha Dangwal has formed a committee of senior academics and subject experts. This committee includes eminent scholars such as former professor at Delhi University and former vice- chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, Wardha, Girishwar Mishra; former vice- chancellor of Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Sudha Rani Pandey; Professor of Sanskrit at Banaras Hindu University, Sadashiv Kumar Dwivedi; head of the Sanskrit department at Delhi University, Omnath Bimali and coordinator of the Centre for Hindu Studies at Delhi University, Prerna Malhotra.
Purohit said that several virtual meetings with experts have already been held regarding the establishment of this centre and a final in-person meeting is proposed to be held at Doon University on June 3 to be chaired by the VC. During this meeting, the final structure of the two-year (four-semester) MA in Hindu Studies syllabus and curriculum will be finalised, he said, adding that this curriculum would support the teaching of provisions related to the Indian Knowledge System as outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
