Latest news with #Takshashila
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Goa Public Universities Bill, spurred by NEP, to be tabled
Panaji: State govt will introduce the Goa Public Universities Bill, 2025, in the ongoing monsoon session of the assembly to provide for the establishment and collaboration of public universities in Goa to implement the goals of the National Education Policy, 2020. The cabinet granted approval to the bill on Tuesday, empowering state govt to fund public universities through the consolidated fund of the state, with an initial provision of Rs 25 crore. The universities will be established to implement the multidisciplinary approach, imparting quality, industry-relevant, and world-class higher education. They will also aim to transform higher education institutions into multidisciplinary institutions. The main thrust of the National Education Policy on higher education is to end the fragmentation of institutions by transforming them into large multidisciplinary universities, colleges, and higher education institution (HEI) clusters/knowledge hubs. Each of these plans to cater to 3,000 or more students. This approach will help break down silos, foster cross-disciplinary research, and enable students to become well-rounded across disciplines, including in creative and analytic subjects as well as in sports. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Best SIP Plans for NRIs in Bosnia And Herzegovina – Get ₹2L Monthly Pension | Invest ₹18K PB Learn More Undo The cabinet stated that moving to large multidisciplinary universities and HEI clusters is the highest recommendation of the National Education Policy. The ancient Indian universities of Takshashila, Nalanda, Vallabhi, and Vikramshila had thousands of students from India and the world studying in vibrant multidisciplinary environments. The bill aims to emulate the success of such large multidisciplinary research and teaching universities. The cabinet emphasised the fact that to implement the objectives of the National Education Policy, it is imperative to develop a roadmap for transformation. This is especially important considering the policy mandates that by 2035, all affiliated colleges must evolve into degree-awarding multidisciplinary autonomous institutions. This transformation can be achieved through collaboration in the form of institutional clusters, as envisioned in the National Education Policy. Hence, Goa intends to establish clusters of public universities.
Scroll.in
5 days ago
- Science
- Scroll.in
‘Nalanda': Insights into ancient Indian practices of debate and argument
India was home to one of the world's oldest 'university-like' institutions, if not a university in the modern sense. The statement, however, reflects presentism, imposing contemporary meanings in the past. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to assume that Nalanda Mahavihara was a unique ancient institution of higher education with no other contemporary institution matching its excellence. Although Takshashila was an older, renowned institution on the Indian subcontinent, the intellectual contributions of Nalanda Mahavihara have had a far greater and fundamental impact on the modern and contemporary world. The global transmigration and diffusion of ideas from Nalanda is well documented and visible in our life-world. A modern spirit The recent title Nalanda: How It Changed the World by Abhay K captures the story and impact of the Nalanda Mahavihara on the modern idea and architecture of the university, along with an advanced scientific understanding of the world we live in. The book modifies the presentist approach by putting it upside down, and explains the idea and architecture of the modern university as a product of an intellectual and architectural movement initiated by the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara. Abhay K highlights the aspects of Nalanda that identify with the modern spirit of scientific enquiry and knowledge creation. Certain systems of enquiry and knowledge systems developed at the Mahavihara are still integral to the understanding and evolution of our material and spiritual surroundings. The book takes us into the ancient origins and evolution of Nalanda, its culmination as a Mahavihara, and the sad decline and destruction of an institution that was once the fulcrum of the most advanced and revolutionary ideas known to humankind. It is not a coincidence that the emergence of Nalanda Mahavihara took place in the suburbs of the most powerful capital city in northern India, given the symbiotic relationship between knowledge and political power. The book captures that Rajagriha (Rajgir in contemporary Bihar) was already a seat of power and knowledge before the development of Nalanda as the highest seat of learning and research. The city was known for the time spent in it by the greats – Jain Mahavira, Gautam Buddha and a number of other philosophers with different worldviews, including the heterodox Ajivakas and Lokayatis. The increasing political power and imperial ambitions of the city engaged and patronised the finest of scholars and philosophers from around the known world. The city emerged as a seat where a victory in debate established the prowess of a scholar. With the passage of time and the increase in the scale of the city and its political engagements, the political powers in Rajagriha decided to develop the nearby Nalanda village as the seat of knowledge, intellectual power and legitimacy. The book illustrates a couple of incidents when scholars from the southern part of the Indian Subcontinent came to seek recognition and livelihood through debate and became an integral part of Nalanda. Although Nalanda, as the known Mahavihara (university), emerged in the 5th century CE during the Guptas, King Ashoka had initiated it as a centre of Buddhist excellence with the establishment of a monastery. The Buddhist outlook, however, did not mean exclusion from other philosophical discourses as they thrived in the teachings, debates and scholarship on campus in Nalanda after the 5th century CE. This seat of knowledge stimulated the intellect and kindled the imaginations of the best minds of its time till its unfortunate decline and destruction. The book traces the trajectory that marks receding patronage, increased influence of rituals and the tantric Vajrayana Buddhism rather than the initial contemplative and scientific spirit in the later life of the institution. Nalanda attracted invaders who saw and equated it as the beacon of power of the emperors-in-charge. The ultimate blow was given by Bakhtiyar Khalji after which the university never returned and went into oblivion until its rediscovery. Multidisciplinary knowledge The book has taken a different approach from that of the historians. The author's mission through this is to highlight and tell the world the story of the seminal contributions that Nalanda Mahavihara made through its network of scholars and institutions established by them. Reading the book gives an insight into the ancient Indian culture of debate and argument that respected knowledge and treated it as a product of merit, mutual interaction and a heritage of humankind. Several important lessons may also be taken on the organisation, funding and the purposes of a university, as a few illustrations in the book are to be noted. The book refers to the recursive argumentation, inter and multidisciplinarity as the popular academic approaches at the Nalanda University. The recursive method, extensively used at Nalanda, is relevant to the exercise of establishing general principles and scientific theory building and testing in our times – primarily in computer science, logic and mathematics, to list a few. Multidisciplinarity at Nalanda was so important that the prestige and status of a scholar was judged not merely by the depth of knowledge but primarily by the hold, understanding and extent of the scholar's knowledge in various and multiple disciplines. The book notes that there was no violence among the students and scholars of different debating sects and schools at the Nalanda campus. This is remarkable as this academic ideal still inspires the best of the universities in the world. The book is a revelation of the global influence of Nalanda across time. It records the scholarly luminaries at Nalanda and the contributions of India and its intellectual network that looked towards Nalanda for learning and inspiration. The contributions of ancient Nalanda in the study of architecture, medicine, logic, mathematics, ophthalmology, art, language, translation, grammar, script, religion and book-culture are incomparable. The global footprints of the idea of Nalanda and its intellectual traditions are visible in the reverence it receives through the names of the institutions like Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science (US), Nalanda Monastery (France), Institut Tibetan Nalanda (Brussels), Nalandaram Retreat Centre (Brazil), Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre in Singapore and many more in other parts of the world. One of the not-so-visible and taken-for-granted footprints is structurally embedded in our computing systems, algebra and calculus, which cannot exist as they are without the 'zero' invented at Nalanda. At Nalanda, along with philosophy, there were many firsts in the field of mathematics and astronomy – like attributing sunlight as the source of moonshine, the earth rotates around its axis and many applications of trigonometric functions of spherical geometry. The book illustrates that the ancient world might not have globalised in the modern meaning of the word but knowledge and ideas were already a global product, Nalanda Mahavihara being the most important centre of dissemination pertaining to its seminal and transforming conceptual breakthroughs in science and philosophy. These ideas travelled to other parts of Asia and later to the West, whose scientific knowledge is built on some of the strong and essential foundations that the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara has contributed to the global body of knowledge. Nalanda was a magnet attracting curious scholars, appreciated merit and encouraged a spirit of enquiry that made its research faculty and facilities the most advanced in the world. Nalanda transformed the world with its ideas, and the impact has become part of our modern daily lives. The trajectory of the rise and fall of the spirit of scepticism and enquiry and the state of the art research, corresponds with the rise and fall of the great Mahavihara. All universities in the world may take a lesson or two from the history, architecture and legacy of Nalanda to transform the world further for the good of humankind. Nalanda: How it Changed the World is a capsule to revive that spirit. Saurabh Mishra is a Research Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
New Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Our missing links to progress
Once again, English finds itself at the heart of a national conversation. Several important questions are being raised. Some ask: Why shouldn't India use English as a national link language? The counterview is: Why should English continue to dominate our lives in every sphere? Why do some people equate aspiration with English as a link language in a country so rich in its languages? India's civilisational history demonstrates our linguistic diversity never hindered cultural and social unity. In ancient times, languages used in different parts of our country flourished alongside pan-Indian languages like Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Pali. These languages enabled spreading of knowledge, spirituality and governance across the nation without displacing local languages. Trade routes, universities like Nalanda and Takshashila, and Bhakti and Jain movements thrived in a multilingual environment. India never needed a foreign language to stay intellectually or culturally united. English became dominant in India, not by natural choice. It was imposed. The British deliberately positioned English as a marker of prestige and power. The arguments that English should be a link language remind us that we have yet to decolonise fully. Mahatma Gandhi's opposition to English was grounded in linguistic self-respect, national unity, and decolonisation principles. He wrote in Young India in 1921: To give millions a knowledge of English is to enslave them… The foundation that Macaulay laid of education has enslaved us. There is no doubt that sole reliance on English as a national link language has the detrimental potential to reinforce social hierarchies and widen the divide between the privileged and the rest.' The framers of the Constitution envisioned English as a transitional necessity—not a permanent feature. The Eighth Schedule recognises 22 Indian languages as vital to India's identity and governance. The decision to uphold linguistic plurality was a defining feature of our constitutional settlement. The framers of our Constitution resisted the temptation to impose a singular language identity. To demand English as the central link is to dilute that foundational commitment to linguistic justice.
India Gazette
18-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Sanatan pride rebuilding with stronger determination," says VP Jagdeep Dhankhar
Puducherry [India], June 18 (ANI): Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said that Sanatan pride was rebuilding in India with stronger determination. He recalled the historical importance of Takshashila, Nalanda, Mithila, and Vallabhi, calling them 'great centers of learning' that defined Bharat for the rest of the world. While addressing students and faculty members at Pondicherry University, Dhankhar said, '...Sanatan pride is rebuilding. What was lost is being rebuilt with stronger determination.' 'Scholars from all over the world came to share their ideas and learn about our wisdom,' he said. He spoke in detail about the destruction of Nalanda University, once home to a nine-story library known as Dharamganj, calling it a tragic loss for global knowledge. 'In two waves of invasion, first the Islamic invasion, and then British colonialism, India suffered a blow to its knowledge heritage. Bakhtiyar Khilji, around 1190, demonstrated cruelty and barbarity. He acted totally against any sense of civilizational ethos. And then, the books alone did not burn. He slit the throats of monks, smashed stupas, and razed the soul of India in his assessment not realizing that the soul of Bharat is indestructible,' he said. 'The fire raged for years. It swallowed 9 million, 90 lakh books and texts. Our history turned to cinders. Nalanda was much beyond a school of thought; it was a living, vibrant temple of knowledge for the benefit of the entire humanity,' Dhankhar added. Vice President Dhankhar also urged for more dialogue and less confrontation in politics, warning against a rising political temperature in the country. 'Friends, there is a need for a change of national mindset also... We have picked up the habit of not making a difference but differing one with one another... There has to be Abhivyakti, there has to be Vaad-Vivad, there has to be expression, there has to be dialogue,' he said. 'We are too keen to raise the political temperature. Climate change is doing that for us. We all are concerned. Why should we melt the glaciers of our patience? Why should we act impatiently getting away from our civilisational, spiritual essence?' he asked. He appealed to political leaders to focus on national interest and development, stating that 'India at the moment is the most aspirational nation in the world.' Expressing concern over the commodification of education, Dhankhar stressed a return to India's Gurukul system. He said, 'There was a time when education and health were means by those who had enough resources to give back to the society... Our education must align with India's traditional Gurukul system.' He called on corporates to use CSR funds to create world-class educational institutions: 'I appeal a mindset change with the corporates. India has been home to philanthropy. Pool your CSR resources to create by converging Institutes of global eminence as green field projects, much away from the concept of balance sheets.' Dhankhar encouraged Pondicherry University alumni to contribute to the university's development. 'Let every alumni of this institute contribute to this fund. Boys and girls, the amount does not matter, the spirit matters,' he said. He quoted astronaut Neil Armstrong, saying, 'A small step by him, a giant leap for humanity... So, for alumni, it may be a small step, but cumulatively, the results will be geometric.' On India's linguistic diversity, the Vice President underlined it as a strength, not a divider. 'How can we be divided on languages?... Sanskrit is important globally, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Bengali, and Assamese. I name these 11 because they are our classical languages,' he said. 'Our languages indicate inclusivity. Sanatan teaches us nothing but to be in togetherness for the same sublime purpose,' he added, appealing to the nation to rise above divisiveness. Dhankhar urged everyone to reflect on India's achievements, stay grounded in its spiritual values, and unite for a better future. (ANI)
New Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
VP Jagdeep Dhankhar urges States to embrace NEP 2020 at event in Pondicherry University; calls for reforms in the education sector
In a deeply evocative address, the Vice President said that 'Sanatan pride' is rebuilding. "What was lost during the Islamic invasion and British Colonial rule is being rebuilt with stronger determination," he said. He traced India's historical legacy of learning, referencing ancient centers like Takshashila, Nalanda, Mithila, and Vallabhi. He recalled the destruction of Nalanda's famed nine-storey library by the invasion by Bakhtiyar Khilji, around 1190, lamenting the loss of over nine million manuscripts. 'It was not just books that burned -- India's civilizational soul was attacked,' he said. However, he asserted, 'The soul of Bharat is indestructible. What was lost is being rebuilt with stronger determination.' He urged universities to emulate India's ancient tradition of holistic learning and focus on fostering critical thinking, innovation, and skill development. Stressing the need for character-building in students, he said, 'Knowledge without character is incomplete. Education should not be commodified—it must remain a service, not a profit-making venture.' Raising concern over the increasing commercialisation of education, Dhankhar called on corporate leaders to reorient their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts towards building world-class educational institutions. 'Education and health were once the means by which the affluent gave back to society. We must return to that ethos,' he remarked. He also encouraged Pondicherry University to launch an alumni endowment fund, citing examples from global universities whose endowment funds run into billions Calling for a reduction in political polarisation, the Vice President urged the political class to adopt a spirit of dialogue and collaboration. 'We have become too quick to differ instead of making a 'difference'. Disruption and disturbance are not what the framers of our Constitution envisioned. We must embrace debate—Vaad-Vivaad—and uphold the spirit of Anantavad,' he stated. Drawing a parallel with the crisis of climate change, he said, 'Why should we melt the glaciers of our patience with heated political rhetoric? India is rising. The world is looking to us. Let us not undermine our moment with narrow politics.' Puducherry Lt Governor K Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N Rangasamy were among those who also spoke. Speaker R Selvam, Home Minister A Namassivayam also participated in the event.
