The Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) of Baroda has recently introduced undergraduate and postgraduate Hindu Studies programmes. The BA and MA in Hindu Studies courses will last three and two years, respectively.
The degree courses will be offered in the coming academic year. The admission process has begun, and interested applicants can register at msubaroda.ac.in.
The course will consist of study of Bhagwad Gita, Ramayana, Ayurveda, Hindu philosophy, yoga, Vedas, Upanishads, Bhakti movement, Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shakti Tradition, Buddha and Jain tradition, etc.
This, however, is not the first time a University will be teaching Hindu Studies. Earlier, the Banaras Hindu University introduced a master’s course on Hindu Studies.
BA HINDU STUDIES
The three years graduation programme will impart basic knowledge of Hindu civilization and articulate the position of Hindu values in the present context, reads the official notice.
The course will help students understand Hindu conceptions of individuals, family, relationships, society, state, environment and the entire cosmos. The programme offers various interdisciplinary subjects including Yogashastra, Natyashastra, Kavyashastra, Vastushastra, and Sthapatya, etc.
As many as 60 students will be admitted in a year for the course. Students who have cleared class 12 or equivalent are eligible to apply for the course. The form and entrance fee is Rs 300 and after admission, the annual fee would be Rs 14000.
MA HINDU STUDIES
The two years master programme has been designed to showcase the importance of Hindu studies in a rapidly changing technological society. The course aims to enable students to understand their roots and face the challenges of modern times, reads the notice.
Students will learn about Hindu darshan’s past and present through the programme and explore how it is connected to the rest of the world. According to the university, students who successfully complete the course can choose careers in teaching, research, consulting, writing, philosophy, etc.
Students who have completed graduation with science, technology, social sciences, or humanities can apply for the course. Just like the BA in Hindu Studies, the MA too will have 60 seats. The form fee is Rs 400 and Rs 14000 per year for students admitted to the course.
While introducing the course, Dilip Kataria, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Maharaja Sayajirao University said, “We have been discussing this course for six months. Its workshops have also been conducted and the professors have also been trained. We are going to start a 3-year bachelor’s and two-year master’s degree course.”
Meanwhile, educationist and sociologist Manishi Jani has stated that, “Dividing education based on religion is incorrect. If students want to learn about culture, teach them about Indian culture, which includes the diversity of each religion and culture. Teaching Hindu Studies as a pro-curricular course also violates the constitution, which states that religion is a personal choice. This type of curriculum will confine the student’s thinking rather than broaden it”.