The Union Minister of HRD has introduced The Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha.
Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019
The Bill is intended to convert India’s three deemed-to-be Sanskrit universities — (i) Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, (ii) Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi, and (iii) Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati — into Central Sanskrit Universities.
The following are the salient features of the Bill:
What the universities will do
The proposed central universities will:
- disseminate and advance knowledge for the promotion of Sanskrit,
- make special provisions for integrated courses in humanities, social sciences, and science, and
- train manpower for the overall development and preservation of Sanskrit and allied subjects.
Powers and functions
These include:
- prescribing courses of study and conducting training programmes,
- granting degrees, diplomas, and certificates,
- providing facilities through a distance education system,
- conferring autonomous status on a college or an institution,
- providing instructions for education in Sanskrit and allied subjects.
University authorities
Some of the authorities that the universities will have:
- A court, which will review the policies of the university and suggest measures for its development.
- An Executive Council, which will be the principal executive body. The 15-member council will include the Vice-Chancellor appointed by the Centre, who will be the chairperson; a joint secretary of the Ministry of HRD, and two eminent academics from the field of Sanskrit or allied subjects.
- The council will, among other functions, create teaching and academic posts and their appointment, and manage the revenue and property of the university.
- An Academic and Activity Council, which will supervise academic policies.
- A Board of Studies, which will approve the subjects for research and recommend measures to improve standards of teaching.
Visitor of the universities
- Like at all central universities, the President of India will be the Visitor of the central Sanskrit universities.
- He may appoint persons to review and inspect the functioning of the University.
- The Executive Council may take action based on the findings of the inspection.
