The reputed university at Vadodara, Gujarat, The Maharaja Sayajirao University is poised to start a graduation course in Hindu studies. This will be the first of such a course in any of the universities in India. The course will be in line with the new education policy introduced by the BJP Government introduced in 2019. The three-year course with 60 seats has been approved by the Syndicate.
The course syllabus intends to cover Bhagwat Gita, Ramayana, Ayurveda BA and MA degrees. Knowledge of Hindu culture and its application in the current context will be imparted to the students. The medium of instruction will be English. The course will be taught in the coming semester.
With the underlying assumption that the knowledge system has been dominated by the West for the last 200 years, the course seeks to bring the true form of Hindu philosophy out of a perceived biased atmosphere. It is argued that Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata and other traditions were dismissed by colonial administrators as legends or myths of historical insignificance.
The new education policy in 2019 aims to focus on value-added courses to “correct” such discrepancies and places more emphasis on the India-centered knowledge tradition.
The stated objective of the couse is to help the student understand the Hindu concepts of individual, family, relationships, society, state, environment and the entire universe. The program also offers various interdisciplinary subjects such as history, economics, law, society, culture, politics, education, arts, ethics, literature, drama, linguistics, ayurveda and yoga. The masters program is designed to demonstrate the importance of Hindu studies in a rapidly changing technological and global information society.
Apart from Bhagwad Gita, Ramayana, Ayurveda, the course is designed to cover in detail Introduction to Hindu Philosophy, Introduction to Yoga, Hindi, English, Ancient India, Medieval India, Advanced Sanskrit, Environmental Science, Introduction to Vedas, Introduction to Upanishads, Modern India (1707-1857), National Movement of India, Hindu Psychology, Bhagavad Gita, Introduction to Mahabharata, Introduction to Puranas, History of Modern World, Hindu Culture in South-East Asia, Hindu Justice System, Introduction to Ayurveda, Practices in Dharmashastra, Bhakti Movement, Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shakti Tradition, Buddha and Jain Tradition. Topics include Cultural Tourism of India, Introduction to Drama, Introduction to Islam and Christianity and its Spread in South Asia, Introduction to Poetry, Reincarnation, Bonding, Moksha Vimarsa.
Any student with a certificate of higher secondary school from any state or central board is eligible to apply. Any graduate with a degree in Science, Technology, Social Sciences or Anthropology with at least 45% marks or equivalent grade is eligible to apply for admission to MA.
