Sanskrit must reach every household in India, become daily communication language: RSS chief Bhagwat
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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Sanskrit Diwas celebration eclipsed by faculty shortage
Jaipur: As the Sanskrit education department gears up to celebrate Sanskrit Diwas on Thursday, a glaring issue looms over the festivities— the acute shortage of professors in state's govt-run Sanskrit colleges and at the Rajasthan Sanskrit University. D espite being the only state in India with a dedicated department for Sanskrit education, the lack of faculty has become a persistent problem. At the Rajasthan Sanskrit University, a staggering 31 out of 50 sanctioned teaching positions remain vacant. Since 2017, no new recruitments have been made, leaving the university, which oversees more than 300 private and govt Sanskrit colleges, severely understaffed. The situation is further exacerbated by the absence of a Controller of Examination since 2022, forcing assistant professors to take on additional responsibilities to conduct exams for the 30,000 to 40,000 students who appear annually. The university's research center has also been without a permanent director since 2011, with associate professors filling the role temporarily. Similarly, the 51 Sanskrit colleges under the Sanskrit education department are operating without permanent principals, relying on assistant professors to manage the institutions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2022 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo Alarmingly, only 55 teachers are currently employed across these colleges. In a bid to address the staffing crisis, the state govt approved the recruitment of nine teaching and seven non-teaching staff at the university earlier this year. The recruitment process, initiated in April, is expected to conclude by the end of 2023. Additionally, minister for Sanskrit education Madan Dilawar announced ongoing recruitment for 3,483 posts, including 200 Assistant Acharya positions and over 2,700 teaching roles at various levels. .
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Gurukulam revival: Recreating the foundations of Indian Education
Credit: Istock India's ancient system of education, the Gurukulam, was never simply about learning. It was about sharing wisdom, imparting discipline, and building human character in balance with nature and the self. In an age when education is all about markets and measures, the gentle resurgence of the Gurukulam model is a compelling counter-trend: not backward, but restorative. In recreating the Gurukulam, we are not doing so out of mere nostalgia. We are awakening a timeless principle that continues to be relevant to this very day. This system of education, conceived by our rishis and formalized in the yogic system by Sage Patanjali, is based on self-realization, humility, and the love of truth. Education as inner mastery Sage Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, established the premise for an integral life philosophy wherein the mind (citta) has to be purified and cleansed so that one may attain real knowledge. The second very sutra of his book describes yoga as "yogas citta-vrtti-nirodhah", the stopping of the fluctuations of the mind. Education in this vision does not mean accumulation of information but developing mental alertness, equanimity, and moral living. The Gurukulam aligns seamlessly with organisations like Patanjali's ideals. The emphasis on meditation, silence, discipline (niyama), and ethical values (yama) ensures that learning is not divorced from life. The student doesn't just 'study' under a guru; they live, serve, observe, and transform in the guru's presence. The Gurukulam becomes both a school and a sanctuary. This is not an escape from the modern world but a return to essence, cultivating young minds with quiet in a world filled with noise. A cultural imperative, not a business trend In contrast with institutionalized education that tends to compartmentalize learning and values, the Gurukulam upraises both together. Sanskrit chanting, yogic sadhana, seva (selfless service), and routine rituals are all used as means of character-building just as much as mind-building. It must be stressed that this revival is not being thrust through showy campaigns or corporate systems. It's happening quietly, in forests, ashrams, and spirituality retreats, driven by honesty and a desire to preserve what is sacred. Lives touched: Voices from within the revival This living tradition is already having a transformative impact, particularly on families and teachers who have fully engaged in the revitalised gurukulam experience. Prema Pathak; Homemaker " My children are not only growing in wisdom, but in grace and inner confidence. They've begun waking up early, practicing yoga with enthusiasm, and chanting with all heart. The rhythm of the gurukulam has changed our entire family's way of life." Saroj Pandey; A Teacher "Here, teaching is a form of worship. We're not just imparting information; we're living it. Every student is treated as an individual on a path. I have never felt more in tune with my calling." The revival of Gurukulam is no project, no product, no trend. It is a going back, to dharma, to simplicity, to the essence of education. This is not about rejecting science or progress. It is about remembering who we are as a civilisation, and teaching our children to live, learn, and grow from that space of inner wisdom.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- New Indian Express
Rare plate sheds light on Vengi Chalukya systems
HYDERABAD: The recent discovery of a fifth copper plate inscription in a Muslim graveyard in Kodad, Suryapet district, continues to enrich historical understanding of the Vengi Chalukya dynasty's political and administrative systems. Now preserved at the Department of Heritage, Hyderabad, it is part of a rare collection of nine such plates found in the region. According to Archaeological Survey of India Director (Epigraphy) K Muniratnam Reddy, the inscription traces royal lineage from Kubja Vishnuvardhana to Vikramaditya II, son of Chalukya Bhima I and Vijayamahadevi. It records a land grant issued by Vikramaditya II, granting 12 khandukas of land in Kodajenu village, along with Ghattikallu and Bojjaprolu hamlets, to Gundayya (also known as Manma Gunda), son of Erra and grandson of Gunda. Remarkably, the charter mandates that residents of 300 villages under Kondapalli vishaya remit one-sixth of their tax (bali), six cows, one adaka of ghee and a pair of garments (vastrayugalam) to Gundayya. The inscription, engraved in Sanskrit using Telugu script by Srikantha Ranabharana, was issued in Saka 848 (February 24, 927 CE), on a Saturday in the Phalguna month, likely during the Uttarayana festival. It bears the royal seal of a boar (Varaha) and the legend 'Sri Tribhuvanamkusa'. The grant was made in the presence of several mahasamantas at the royal palace and is believed to have been a strategic move to strengthen the kingdom's security. Notably, this is the second copper plate of Vikramaditya II found in Kodad from the same year, the first marking his coronation, and the latest interpreted as a protective gesture for the realm. 'Kakatiya Gundayya, the beneficiary, is praised as valiant, devout, learned in scripture and statecraft, a protector of the people and a model royal servant,' says Muniratnam.
