Six months after the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) rejected a proposal to introduce short-term courses in ‘Indian Culture’ and ‘Yoga’, the varsity has decided to reconsider the plan.
The decision was taken last week at a meeting of the university’s Academic Council (AC), its statutory decision-making body.
Some teachers in favour “A draft of the proposed course structure was rejected in the AC last year [in November]. The matter was again raised in the recent meeting. There was opposition from certain teachers while some favoured it. Ultimately it was decided to reconsider the same,” a council member said.
“Vice-Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar has directed the departments to rework the proposed course structure and place the same before the AC,” the member added.
The proposal to introduce three short-term courses in these subjects was made last year after right-wing organisations, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, allegedly insisted on the move to promote India’s rich heritage in educational campuses and restore country’s cultural identity.
Following various communications from the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the University Grants Commission (UGC), the varsity last year circulated a draft of three courses among various schools and departments of JNU for their feedback.
According to an earlier draft, “the course will contain the texts, thoughts and traditions of different cultures and include things like religious systems in Indian culture among others. Besides, it will have portions from Vedas and selections from epics and Jatakas and suggestions on readings of Hindu epics like the Ramayana.”
The draft also suggested that the course include “basic study of Indian culture to establish Indian rituals and values in the world and derive ways from these sources to make human life better.”
Indian culture cannot be understood without the help of “Indian literature, which are generally written by sages”, according to the document.
