DU: Proposal for centre for Odia studies be tabled in Friday’s EC meeting
The proposal positions the centre within the Faculty of Arts to offer postgraduate programmes, PhD research, as well as general electives at the undergraduate level, to popularise Odia culture nationwide.
New Delhi: Delhi University (DU) is gearing up to launch a dedicated Centre for Odia Studies, aiming to deepen research and education on Odisha’s rich language, literature, and tribal heritage.
The proposal, to be tabled in the executive Council (EC) meeting on Friday, positions the centre within the Faculty of Arts to offer postgraduate programmes, PhD research, as well as general electives at the undergraduate level, to popularise Odia culture nationwide.
The proposal mentions that the objectives of establishing the centre include creating a “dedicated rich repository of ancient and contemporary reference materials to enhance knowledge of the Odia way of life, traditions and worldview”, as well as to trace the evolution of the language and understand the tribal culture of Odisha in the historical and contemporary perspective. HT has seen the proposal.
“There is an increasing focus on understanding Indian languages better as well as studying traditions and culture related to different communities of our country. As a part of the same, the Centre for Odia Studies proposal has been passed by the academic council (AC) and will now be tabled at the EC meeting. Committee meetings were also held to chalk out the financial and infrastructural details of the proposal,” said Vikas Gupta, registrar of DU.
According to the proposal, a Governing Body led by the Vice-Chancellor will oversee operations, approving courses, staff, and budgets, while a research committee will guide PhD evaluations, seminars, and collaborations.
The blueprint seeks ₹ 39 crore total: ₹ 25 crore for state-of-the-art building and fixtures, ₹ 3 crore for library and ICT setup, and ₹11 crore annual recurring costs.
Aman Kumar, an elected EC member, said, “This is a significant move which will encourage multidisciplinary studies, along the lines of what the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes. The Centre will dig into traditional knowledge and encourage further courses rooted in Indian languages and traditions.”
The participating departments which will be involved in the teaching-learning and research activities of the centre will be all departments under the Faculty of Arts, along with the Department of Anthropology from the Science faculty, and departments of History, Sociology, Political Science, and Social Work which are under the Faculty of Social Sciences.
