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Deccan College unveils ‘Bharat-Vidya’ programme, charts ‘Vision 2047’ roadmap to gain INI status
A vision committee, consultative group, and an independent peer review committee chaired by professor Amba Kulkarni of IIT Hyderabad have been constituted to guide the process.
PUNE: Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute on Monday announced a five-year integrated academic programme rooted in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), and unveiled its ‘Vision 2047’ roadmap to secure the status of an institute of national importance (INI). Named ‘Bharat-Vidya’, the five-year integrated programme in transdisciplinary studies combines IKS with global academic traditions, treating both as complementary foundations of learning. The announcements were made by chancellor professor Bhushan Patwardhan at a press conference held at the institute’s department of ancient Indian history, culture and archaeology (AIHC&A).
Designed in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the five-year programme will offer multiple exit options: an undergraduate degree after three years (120 credits), an honours degree after four years (160 credits), and a post-graduate degree after five years (200 credits). The first two years will provide a common foundation in civilisational studies, philosophy, classical languages, ecology, governance, ethics, science and the arts. From the third year, students have to opt for specialisation; whereas the final two years will focus on research, with the fifth year dedicated to research projects and internships. The programme will initially offer five specialisations: archaeology and heritage sciences; ancient Indian history and culture; Sanskrit; linguistics and temple architecture; and iconography and heritage management. Admissions for the inaugural batch are expected to begin next Monday, with scholarships planned for meritorious students.
As part of the initiative, Deccan College will anchor ABHA Maharashtra (Alliance of Bharatiya Academia for Transdisciplinary Education), a higher education cluster proposed under clause 10.12 of the NEP 2020. The alliance will initially include universities from Mumbai, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur and SNDT Women’s University, with plans to expand nationwide through ABHA National. Deccan College will lead the curriculum development and faculty training during the first phase. To support the initiative, the institute has proposed a ₹10 crore seed grant from the Maharashtra government for a faculty development programme to be implemented through the proposed Maharashtra State Faculty Development Academy (MSFDA).
The institute also unveiled its ‘Vision 2047’ development plan, aimed at transforming Deccan College into an INI dedicated to humanities, civilisational and human studies. A vision committee, consultative group, and an independent peer review committee chaired by professor Amba Kulkarni of IIT Hyderabad have been constituted to guide the process. The peer review committee is scheduled to visit the campus in August.
The proposal seeks central government funding on the lines of premier institutions such as IISc, TIFR and JNCASR. The roadmap also envisages conservation of Deccan College’s historic Yerawada campus and strengthening of its research ecosystem in Sanskrit, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology and heritage sciences.
“Our vision is to build on Deccan College’s established scholarship and transform it into an INI for humanities, civilisational and human studies, emerging as a global centre of excellence in research and education,” said Patwardhan.
