The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), a government recognised institution that offers distance education courses is set to start degree and certificate programmes in Vedic and Indic studies.
The course in Vedic studies will be offered in association with a religious faction, the Swaminarayan Sect.
The university will also set up a chair, named after Sect–Swaminarayan Chair, for which a MoU has been signed with the organisation that was founded in Gujarat and is a subsect of Vaishnava Hinduism.
According to sources, the University will offer certificate and degree courses in the study of Vedas and Indic studies in three languages Hindi, English and Gujarati.
The courses that will begin next month will be offered to applicants not only in India, but overseas as well. Infrastructure of the Swaminarayan Sect, will be used as study centres, sources told HT.
The Swaminarayan sect has followers in many countries, especially in the United States of America, United Kingdom, South Africa and Kenya.
A senior official of the University said the courses in Vedic and Indic studies are aimed at creating awareness about knowledge of the native people.
“There are not many who can even tell the time sequence of the four Vedas and not many realise what is a Ved. General perception is it a collection of hymns. ….Vedas are a reflection of Indian civilisation and offer an insight into what society was all about,” an official told HT.
{{/usCountry}}“There are not many who can even tell the time sequence of the four Vedas and not many realise what is a Ved. General perception is it a collection of hymns. ….Vedas are a reflection of Indian civilisation and offer an insight into what society was all about,” an official told HT.
{{/usCountry}}The official said Indic studies will focus on the geographic, social, religious aspects of ancient Indian civilization. It will also take into account other spiritual sects and faiths such as Sufism.
“Since the days of colonialism we have been taught history with a particular shade; more than 70% of the time we were talking ill of the Indian society—Dalits and women were ill-treated and it was a decrepit society. If that were true, why are there illustrious accounts of Greek people, who talk so highly of Indian society?” the official said.