Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday honoured a prominent institute of Tibetan studies as part of celebrations to mark Buddha Purnima. At an event held in New Delhi, Mr. Modi said the issues facing the world can be solved by following the path of the Buddha.
“We are fortunate to have the teachings of Lord Buddha among us even after 2,500 years. Government has allocated ₹360 crore for the development of the Buddhist circuit. This will help in developing Buddhist spots in U.P., Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and A.P.,” Mr. Modi said after honouring the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS) with the Vaisakh Samman Prasasti Patra.
CIHTS is a centrally funded institute that was started in 1967 following a discussion between Dalai Lama and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the early 1960s. This was later turned into an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture. Though the Central Tibetan Administration, the authority of the Tibetans in exile has several programmes for cultural preservation, CIHTS is unique as it is a unique institution in India.
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Honouring of the Tibet-related institute is perceived as an important significant step as it came a day after Prime Minister Modi returned from his bilateral informal summit with President Xi Jinping of China.
He also honoured the All India Bhikshu Sangha of Bodh Gaya.