Old is gold

Guwahati, March 4: Anxious about a generation that cannot tell Manusmriti from Rigveda, and may soon forget its epics as well, the Assam government has come up with plans of a university that will promote studies and research in Sanskrit and other vanishing faculties.

A brainchild of chief minister Tarun Gogoi and education minister Gautam Bora, the proposed Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University will provide courses on tantric and Shakti cult, Buddhist philosophy, nature/environment worship and Gandhian studies. The course will also include Srimanta Shankardev’s philosophy.

“With the changes in Indian economy and Westernisation of Indian culture, there has been a decline in interest among many people, particularly youths, in ancient studies and our country’s rich culture and heritage. Such a university can play an important role in reviving the interest of the younger generation in ancient studies,” a source in the education department said.

The state government passed the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University Bill, 2011, in the last Assembly session held in February.

Though a 100-bigha plot has been allotted for the project at Naumati Mauza, about 3km from Nalbari town, it will be some time before the foundation stone can be laid, with the model code of conduct coming into effect for the Assembly elections since last Tuesday.

The detailed project report, being prepared by the directorate of higher education under the state education department, however, is now in the final stage. The report will mention the time required to complete the construction of the university and the estimated cost of the project, to be provided by the Centre.

The university will confer degrees, diplomas, titles, certificates or other academic distinctions on the basis of examinations.

The court of the university — which will be the highest decision-making body of the institution — will comprise the chancellor, the vice-chancellor, the rector, the registrar, the secretary of state higher education, the principal of K.K. Handique Government Sanskrit College and the vice-chancellors of Gauhati and Dibrugarh Universities among others.

“The university will have a corpus called Kumar Bhaskar Varma University Fund where all its income, fees, fines, contributions, donations, loans and advances, will be credited. The state government will contribute annually an adequate sum of money to the university fund to meet recurring charges,” the source said.