Kameshwar Singh Sanskrit University, Darbhanga, plans to launch 15 vocational courses at its constituent and affiliated Sanskrit colleges to attract more students and popularise the language.

The vice-chancellor, Arvind Kumar Pandey, told The Telegraph that the university would grant approval to the institutes, among the 77 Sanskrit colleges in the state, to start the vocational courses from the 2012-13 academic year.

The vocational courses include management, computer, media and mass communication, pharmacy in ayurveda, meteorology, environment, yoga, vaastu, karmkanda, astrology and palmistry.

On Friday and Saturday, Pandey, as well as principals of 62 Sanskrit colleges in the state, attended a workshop on e-learning and e-governance. Two Sanskrit colleges — Brajbhushan Sanskrit College in Gaya town and Shatanand Giri Sanskrit College in Bodhgaya — organised the workshops on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

These workshops would be organised in all other colleges of the state during this academic session to popularise Sanskrit among students.

The 77 Sanskrit colleges across Bihar that run under the Kameshwar Singh Sanskrit University include 31 constituent colleges. The remaining 46 colleges receive financial aid from the varsity according to the strength of students for improving the academic standard and infrastructure.

There is a shortage of teachers at the constituent colleges under Kameshwar Singh Sanskrit University. The vice-chancellor said teachers from the 46 affiliated institutions have been deputed to meet the teacher crunch. The state government has assured that appointment of teachers in Sanskrit colleges would start from July, Pandey added.

University Grants Commission has provided around Rs 35 crore to 28 constituent colleges under the Eleventh Five Year Plan to boost Sanskrit education in the state.