At DU's SOL, Dharmashastra & Vedas find space in BA course
New Delhi: Starting this academic session, students enrolled in the BA programme at
Delhi University
's School of Open Learning (SOL) will study Dharmashastra and the Vedas, a collection of ancient sacred texts revered in Hinduism, as a part of their main curriculum.
The university has introduced two new Sanskrit papers — one minor and one major — that will be offered in the fourth semester to second-year undergraduate students.
The minor paper, titled Sanskrit: Dharmashastra Studies, and the major paper, titled Sanskrit: Readings from the Vedas, will be taught through Self Learning Material (SLM), a format commonly used by the School of Open Learning. Vedas comprise of four texts considered sacred — Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda.
These additions were among the 38 new papers approved by the university's executive council — the highest statutory decision-making body — in its meeting held last week.
The move comes under the implementation of the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework 2022 (UGCF 2022), which is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020). These curriculum changes have been recommended by the department of distance and continuing education (SOL/COL) and will be applicable across all six semesters of undergraduate courses.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here]
Esseps
Learn More
Undo
When asked about the rationale behind including religious texts in the main curriculum of a public university, the SOL director clarified that these papers are not newly created but have been extended to SOL students from existing programmes in Delhi University. "This is in the Sanskrit curriculum and the approved syllabus of University of Delhi. We have not introduced anything specially. These papers are already running in the choice-based credit system and annual mode too," said Payal Mago, director, SOL.
Apart from the two papers, the Executive Council also approved SLMs for 36 other papers, including general electives, discipline-specific electives, value added courses (VAC), and ability enhancement courses (AECs) across various semesters and disciplines. These will expand academic options for students pursuing distance education in DU.
In another significant move, SOL has also extended some of Delhi University's popular VACs to all its undergraduate programmes. This includes courses like Sanskrit: Yoga: Philosophy and Practice and Sanskrit: Panchkosha: Holistic Development of Personality, which have seen growing interest among students in recent years.
With a total of 38 curriculum-related proposals cleared by the executive council, the changes mark a major academic expansion for the School of Open Learning aligning with the broader goals of NEP 2020.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Wittgenstein, Kipling and Gita's Stithprajna
Authored by Ashok Vohra The Sanskrit term ' stithprajna' combines 'stitha' – steady, firm, and 'prajna' – wise, learned. So, stithprajna means a person of steady wisdom. He is the 'one whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, for whom sukha-duhkha, happiness and sorrow; labha-alabhau, gain or loss; jaya-ajaya, conquest and defeat are the same. A person, according to Gita, 2.55, attains the status of stithprajna when he 'discards all selfish desires and cravings of the senses that torment the mind, and becomes satisfied in realisation of the Self, such a person is said to be transcendentally situated.' A stithprajna turns his mind away from the material allurements and renounces lure of the senses. He is free from raag, attachment; dvesh, jealousy; bhay, fear; krodh, anger. He is indifferent to the uncertainties of life, its vulnerability to reversals and its resilience. He is indifferent to the temporary nature of the results of his actions, nor is he disappointed if he cannot achieve his chosen goals, complete the deeds undertaken by him, or even if his deeds do not yield desired fruits. The performance of actions with all sincerity is the end that gives him satisfaction. Kathopanishad, 2.3.14, goes to the extent of saying that one who has renounced desires becomes like God: 'When one eliminates all selfish desires from the heart, then the materially fettered jivatma (soul) attains freedom from birth and death, and becomes Godlike in virtue.' In the Bhagwad Gita, 2.54, Arjun asks Krishn about the characteristics of a stithprajna. He asks, 'How does the man of steady wisdom speak? How does he sit? How does he move about?' Krishn answers that a stithprajna 'practises self-control' and 'discards all selfish desires and cravings of the senses that torment the mind'. His life is both authentic and autonomous. If interpreted in Ludwig Wittgenstein's terms, stithprajna is 'the man…fulfilling the purpose of existence who no longer needs to have a purpose except to live. That is to say, who is content.' For him, the solution to problems of life lies in 'disappearance of the problem'. This frees him from hope and fear, 'for life in the present there is no death.' He knows that the lived world is 'beyond the control of human will, and therefore he is content with how the world is.' He lives in the world and accepts it without trying to change it. He contemplates the world as a limited whole as an impartial observer. He realises that he 'cannot steer the world's happenings according to (his) will,' and that he is 'entirely powerless'. He also realises that he 'can only make (himself) independent of the world – and so in a certain sense, master it – by renouncing any influence on happenings.' Krishn's description of stithprajna also reflects in Rudyard Kipling's poem If , it reads: 'If you can dream – and not make dreams your master/If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim/If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster/And treat those two impostors just the same…/If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you/If all men count with you, but none too much'. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
From havan to shraddh: PU's new course explores rituals beyond textbooks
Chandigarh: This year, Panjab University is opening its doors to a new programme — a one-year diploma course in Karamkand evam Paurohitya, which means the study and practice of Vedic rituals and priesthood. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The course, approved recently by the academic council, will be offered at the university's Vishveshvaranand Vishwa Bandhu Institute of Sanskrit and Indological Studies in Hoshiarpur, with 20 seats in the first batch. From conducting yajnas and havans to understanding the deeper meaning of rituals like shraddh, upanayan, and deity-specific worship, the course offers a structured route into traditions often learned informally within families or religious institutions. "This course is not just for those pursuing priesthood. It's for anyone curious about the cultural, philosophical, and practical aspects of these rituals," said Prof Ritu Bala, director of the Hoshiarpur institute. "We want to make this knowledge accessible to those who may not have the time or background to do a full Shastri degree." Shastri, or a bachelor's degree in Sanskrit, is often the traditional academic path for those wanting to become Hindu religious teachers or priests. But officials say the diploma will offer an alternative — especially useful for those considering roles like dharam guru (religious teacher) in the Indian Army or other institutional settings, including where Vedic knowledge is a requirement. According to Army recruitment guidelines available, a candidate applying for the Religious Teacher post can qualify either through a Shastri/Acharya degree with Karamkand or a one-year diploma in Karamkand. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now University officials say this course has been designed keeping such opportunities in mind. Students can choose to study online or in person, with offline learners taking written exams and internal assessments, and online participants submitting assignments or projects in place of classroom evaluations. More than just learning how to perform rituals, the course, say faculty members, also aims to clear misconceptions and bring clarity about practices often viewed as outdated or misunderstood. The diploma is divided into two semesters and covers four papers. In the first semester, students will learn Yagyavidhi evam Mantrachayan — the procedures of Vedic rituals and how to select and recite mantras — and Sanskar Vidhi, covering life-cycle ceremonies like birth, marriage, and initiation. The second semester moves into more specialised rituals, including Shraddh evam Tarpan Vidhi — ancestral rites, offerings, and pind daan — and Pooja evam Vrat Vidhi, focused on deity worship, fasts, and festival-related practices.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
A syncretic vision to heal our divided world
This week, I felt the urge to revisit a Sufi bridge-builder between Hinduism and Islam just to see if I still felt hopeful about his syncretic ideas. Bulle Shah (1680–1735) was born into a noble family of Syeds at Qasur, now in Pakistan. As a child, Bulle Shah, colloquially known as 'Bulla' and 'Bulleya' in Punjabi, was reportedly lost in thought frequently, which worried his family. In the course of his restless youth, Bulla was tormented by inchoate spiritual longings while urged by his concerned family to live his life as a nobleman with all its attendant pleasures and privileges. One day, he went on a long ride to clear his head and get away from home for a bit. He happened to notice a line of ants diligently carrying grain to their anthill. He paused, his attention caught, and wondered, "All that industry just to feed oneself?" Why was every living creature, from insects to birds, animals and human beings, relentlessly driven by the same mission-–to find food, to sustain life, to perpetuate its species? The mystery of Creation beckoned strongly to him, and he set out to find a spiritual guide. Bulla found his spiritual master by chance in a vegetable garden of all places. His name was Inayat Qadiri, from the Qadiri order of Sufis. It was a historically influential order, for it was a Qadiri Sufi who had taught Prince Dara Shikoh and led him to explore attempts to syncretise Hinduism and Islam – as in the work Majma ul-Bahrain, meaning The Mingling of Oceans. However, that well-meant book had not reached the ordinary people; it had stayed in high-class circles, where it had little or no influence. It was not for the hoi polloi, just as albums of miniature paintings were not for ordinary folk those days, but were expensive collectables for kings, nobles and wealthy merchants.
