Teachers, students protest Sanskrit dept order

Sheo S Jaiswal / TNN / Updated: Oct 31, 2023, 14:00 IST

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Teachers and students from Sanskrit educational institutions in Uttarakhand are protesting against a government order that downgraded all self-financed Sanskrit colleges. They argue that this move goes against the long-standing demand for Sanskrit education to be included in higher education. The order categorizes the colleges as junior high schools, high schools, or intermediate colleges, instead of degree colleges. However, the institutions may still be able to offer degree and postgraduate classes on a self-financed basis.

Teachers, students protest Sanskrit dept order

Image used for representational purpose only

HARIDWAR: Teachers and students from Sanskrit educational institutions across the state are protesting against a government order issued recently by secretary, Sanskrit education department.
The order, they allege, has dashed the hopes of upgradation of Sanskrit education as it has downgraded all self-financed Sanskrit colleges.
“There has been a long-standing demand that Sanskrit education be included in higher education and not be categorised with intermediate education.But the state government, which granted Sanskrit the status of second official language, has reduced all 51 degree colleges (mahavidyalayas) in the state to junior high schools (prathama vidyalayas), high schools (poorva madhyama vidyalayas) or intermediate colleges (uttar madhyama vidyalayas)," Jwalapur Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya’s former head (kulapati) Hari Gopal Shastri said. He added that this is not a prudent move for the propagation of the language.
There are 75 self-financed and six government sanskrit educational institutions in the state. Of the 75 self-financed ones, 27 have been categorised as intermediate college, 14 as high school and 33 as junior high school. One self-financed and two government colleges have been recognised as degree colleges.

According to sources, the Sanskrit institutions may run degree and postgraduate classes on a self-financed basis. In a fresh order issued on October 23, Sanskrit education secretary Chandresh Kumar said that "some changes have been made in the list after attention was drawn to the status of government grants to the institutions."

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