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According to an official statement, Delhi University recently established a committee of 17 members to construct a centre for “Hindu Studies” that will deliver courses on the “history of Hindus” at the university.

The Director of DU South Delhi Campus, Prakash Singh, will head the panel.

However, academic council members questioned the requirement for such a centre.

Prakash Singh said there are around 23 universities across India providing courses in Hindu studies. Delhi University also thought it should also have a centre for Hindu studies. He added that we have a centre for Buddhist studies but not a centre for Hindu studies.

He highlighted that the panel’s attention would be on first deciding the centre’s viability and then launching courses in accordance with that.

Singh stated that first, we would launch courses in postgraduate and research, and later we might introduce undergraduate courses. He further said that the committee would decide how many programmes will be introduced and whether courses will be launched this year or next. He added that panel also intends to present the framework before the academic council soon.

An academic council member, who did not wish to be named, disagreed with the requirement for the centre while stating, Where are other centres? Sikh, Muslim, and other centres? DU must also open courses for these other religions.

Singh said, unfortunately, we only notice the religious part of Hinduism Hinduism is a way of life. Religion is only an element- we have thousands of years of history. The centre will concentrate on this aspect.

News Source: The Indian Express