DELHI, INDIA, November 1, 2015 (The Hindu): In a rebuff to the government, Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Academic Council has rejected a proposal for introduction of short-term courses in Indian Culture and Yoga for propagating spiritual and mythological traditions and establishing Indian values in the world. The proposal was mooted by the varsity administration following communications from UGC and HRD Ministry. However, the varsity’s Academic Council (AC), which is the top decision making body, rejected the proposal at a meeting last Friday. The proposal to introduce three short-term courses in these subjects had come against the backdrop of right-wing organizations, including BJP’s ideological mentor RSS, insisting on propagation of culture in educational campuses to promote India’s rich heritage and restore its cultural identity.
According to the draft, the course on Indian culture aimed at expounding the importance of the country’s culture as well as exploring the etymological, social, spiritual, cultural and mythological aspects and establishing Indian values in the world. “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 reads. “There will be 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,” it says.The document further says that Indian culture cannot be understood without the help of “Indian literature, which are generally written by sages”. “The course will encompass texts, thoughts and traditions of different cultures and include things like religious systems in Indian culture, among others,” it said.