Bangalore: Old Sanskrit College to close...

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http://www.hindu.com/2005/06/17/stories/2005061709820400.htm

 

Online edition of India's National Newspaper

Friday, Jun 17, 2005

 

END OF THE LINE: Chamarajendra Sanskrit College in Bangalore — Photo:

Sampath Kumar G.P.

 

BANGALORE: There appears to be few to speak up for the cause of Sanskrit.

The Government has decided to close down one of the very few Sanskrit

colleges it runs in the State, Sri Chamarajendra Sanskrit College at

Chamarajpet in Bangalore.

 

For decades the college has been imparting knowledge of the ancient Vedas

and Shastras. But today there is a fall in the number of takers for the

courses offered by the college. However, the number of students in the

college is not inconsiderable considering that there are a good number of

departments in universities in the State with fewer than 10 students in the

MA or M.Sc. courses.

 

So far the only organisation to protest against the move to close down the

institution is Sanskrit Bharati.

 

The college, founded in 1940 by the then Dewan of Mysore, Sir Mirza Ismail,

offers courses in the Vedas and the Shastras. About 190 students are on its

rolls and it has 29 members of the staff. The Government's move to close

down the college or merge it with Sri Maharaja Sanskrit College, Mysore, has

come as a shock to the staff and received a lot of flak from Sanskrit

scholars.

 

The Education Department discussed the issue of closing down the college at

a meting held recently. The inadequate number of students for the various

courses offered in by college is cited as the main reason for the

Government's move.

 

The contribution of the college in the field of Sanskrit education is quite

significant. Sri Balagangadharanath Swamy of Adichunchanagiri Mutt, Sri

Shantaveera Mahaswamy of Kolada Mutt, Sri Shivarudra Swamy of Beli Mutt, Sri

Shivapuri Swamy of Omkara Mutt, and scholars such as Srinivas Gopalacharya,

Vidwan Ranganath Sharma and Vidwan N.T. Srinivas Iyengar were students of

the college.

 

The college has invited applications for admissions for the current year.

The Principal, B.L. Manjunath, says the college offers Prathama

(three-year), Kavya (two-year), Sahitya (three-year) and Vidwat (five-year)

courses. The Rigveda, Krishna Yajurveda, Shukla Yajurveda and Samaveda are

taught in the college. There is no age bar or admission fee. Candidates who

do not have any formal education can also join the preliminary classes.

 

A Vidwat course is equivalent to an MA degree. Unfortunately, there is no

Government Order recognising the degrees provided by the college.

 

Satyanarayana Bhat of Sanskrit Bharati says the Government should set up a

Sanskrit Directorate or Sanskrit University to give an identity to Sanskrit

courses.

 

The 65-year-old college building requires major repairs and renovation. But

it does not receive funds to maintain the building. The infrastructure is

inadequate and this will have an adverse impact on the overall academic

environment, say staff members.

 

A couple of years ago, a proposal was prepared for the construction of a

hostel but no action has been taken, Mr. Bhat says.

 

Scholarships

 

The Government provides scholarships for students. But the amount is meagre:

Rs. 47 for students of the Prathama course, Rs. 50 for the Kavya course and

Rs. 150 for the Vidwat course.

 

To attract more students, the Government should provide facilities such as

computer education and a good library the teachers say.