Coming up three centres on Hindu, Buddhist and Jain studies in JNU.

JNU Sets Up Three Centres For Hindu, Buddhist And Jain Studies.

These centres of Jawaharlal Nehru University will operate under the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, furthering the exploration and implementation of Indian Knowledge Systems as outlined in the National Education Policy, 2020.

Prakash Singhania | HENB | New Delhi | July 14, 2024:: To remove the ‘Anti-Hindu’ stigma from ‘the Dane of left liberals’, the present academic and administrative body have taken a balanced move to widen the scope of deliberation of Sanatan views for its systematic explorations. Accordingly,  a significant move to integrate Indian knowledge systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has announced the establishment of three new centres dedicated to Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain studies. This initiative aligns with the vision and mission of Vikasit Bharat, aiming to harmonize traditional knowledge with modern academic disciplines.

“JNU has proudly established three centres that will implement the vision and mission of Viksit Bharat in integrating Indian knowledge systems into research culture. This will take us on the path of integrating tradition with modernity, continuity with change, realm with region and myth with reality,” JNU Vice-Chancellor Ms. Santishree D. Pandit said on Friday.

The newly established centres are:

• Centre for Hindu Studies
• Centre for Buddhist Studies
• Centre for Jain Studies

These centres will operate under the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, furthering the exploration and implementation of Indian Knowledge Systems as outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

In a recent post on X, the university stated, “JNU VC has established 3 Centres that will implement the vision & mission of Vikasit Bharat in integrating the Indian knowledge systems. This will take us on the path of integrating tradition with modernity, continuity with change, Realm with Region and Myth with Reality.”

The establishment of these centres was approved during the Executive Council meeting held on May 29, 2024.

Jawaharlal Nehru University is one of the top universities in India. It is ranked 580 in the QS World University Rankings 2025, 20 in subject-wise rankings for development studies, 545 in the QS Sustainability Ranking, and 15 in the Asian University Rankings.

Last year, Delhi University (DU) set up a Centre for Hindu Studies, which currently provides a master’s degree program. The centre also intends to launch undergraduate courses in the near future. DU already houses a Department for Buddhist Studies and, in March, received approval from the central government to establish a Centre for Advanced Studies in Buddhism, with an estimated budget of Rs 35 crore.

Brajesh Kumar Pandey, the Dean of the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, said: “We are currently in planning stages, and will begin drafting the syllabus and curriculum, for which committees are being formed.” He added that they plan on offering PhD courses in the centres, and at least one centre will also conduct an MA programme.

“The idea of the new centres is to teach those aspects of our traditional Indian knowledge systems, which are missing from our curriculum. We will collaborate with other social science and language schools to implement this goal, and we hope that he will be able to start offering courses next year,” he said.

The NET states that departments teaching Sanskrit that conduct research are to be strengthened across the “new multidisciplinary higher education system”. Last year, the Delhi University too had introduced an MA in Hindu Studies corresponding to the education policy.
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__Inputs from ANI, NDTV and The Hindu.