Sambalpur: Gangadhar Meher University here recently launched a postgraduate programme in Hindi to mark 62 years of introducing the language as a subject in the institute.

The postgraduate programme was launched jointly by varsity vice-chancellor Atanu Kumar Pati and former professor of Hindi Kirti Prakash Gupta. Gupta was the first head of the department of Hindi in the then Gangadhar Meher college, which is now a university. A special programme was organised on the campus to mark the occasion in which Hindi professors of various leading institutions took part. Among several others, Madan Kumar Pal of Gangadhar Meher University, Murali Lal of Sambalpur University, Kuna Panda of Ramadevi Women's University, G.M. Khan of BJB Autonomous College and Kamala Prabhas Kapani of Bargarh College attended the event shared their views on the importance of Hindi in the society.

Gupta was also honoured on the occasion. Pati said the importance of Hindi has been increasing day by day in the society as a national language. The demand for Hindi-knowing people is also increasing and as a result, more and more students are coming forward to study Hindi.

"The 30-seat postgraduate programme has been totally filled. There will be no problem in managing the classes as the department has two permanent lecturers and three guest faculties. We have already advertised for employment of five lecturers in Hindi," Pati said.

Pati also said that the university would launch a doctoral programme in Hindi from the next academic session.

The Gangadhar Meher University will be the third university in Odisha to start PhD course in Hindi, after Ravenshaw University in Cuttack and Ramadevi Women's University in Bhubaneswar.