Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister, will inaugurate Bharat Vidya, a virtual education portal for Oriental & South Asian subjects, in Pune on Wednesday. Bharat Vidya seems to be a first-of-its-kind digital website created and designed by Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute(BORI) that will provide both paid and free courses addressing many elements of Indology related to art, philosophy, architecture, language, & science. To start, six courses have been declared: Fundamentals of Archaeology, Veda Vidya, Sanskrit learning, Bharatiya Darshanshashtra, 18 Parvas of Mahabharata, & Kalidasa & Bhasha. Several programs have been developed in accordance with the National Education Policy 2020. BORI has worked with a handful of Indian and international universities to grant credits for several of its programs.
Key Takeaways
- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will launch Bharat Vidya, a virtual education portal for Oriental and South Asian subjects, in Pune on Wednesday.
- Bharat Vidya appears to be a one-of-a-kind digital website developed and designed by Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute that will offer both paid and free courses.
- Bharat Vidya appears to be the online learning portal of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. It provides on-demand and lifetime online access to subscribers.
- The Institution also houses a Manuscripts Resource & Conservation Centre run by the National Mission for Manuscripts, an initiative of India’s Cultural Ministry.
- A system similar to Bharat Vidya must focus not only on school and college students, but also on mature students who want to learn about India’s history and traditions.
Bharat Vidya Online Portal
Bharat Vidya seems to be the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute’s online learning portal. It gives subscribers on-demand and lifelong online access to courses. Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, founded in 1917, is a major research organisation in Indology & Asian Studies.
The institute conducts extensive academic research and has 28,000 ancient manuscripts & 1,53,000 rare volumes. Nearly 300 publications and periodicals have been produced by the institution, encompassing magnum opuses such as the Critical Version of the Mahabharata, the Histories of Dharmashastra, as well as the Vedic Bibliography.
It houses free learning assets as well as signed learning assets and classes on India’s rich cultural and moral legacy & Indian Knowledge Systems, which cover religion, philosophy and literature, governance & policy-making, science & medicine, astronomy & mathematics, history & material culture, art & architecture, & the underlying fundamental ideals of Indian civilization. The site will include courses that are based on original sources. It aspires to reach ordinary people as well as schools and institutions that lack trained subject matter experts. The classes adhere to the current National Education Policy. On Sept 21st, 2022, the portal was inaugurated in the august attendance of Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s Hon. Finance Minister.
About Courses
Mahabharata’s 18 Parvas
The course introduces us to literary reality. It explains the essential incidents of the Mahabharata by presenting the epic’s 18 parvas. The program is appropriate for anybody with a basic understanding of the Mahabharata. Upon completing the course, students will be familiar with the epic’s textual actuality, the fundamentals of its own philosophy, the psychology of the characters, and the dominant societal paradigms. Dr. Gauri Moghe conceptualised and directed the project.
Bhasa and Kalidasa
Kalidas & Bhasa represent two Sanskrit literary and dramatic figures. Even now, their distinct approach to playwriting continues to draw theatrical talent. With this new program, “Kalidasa & Bhasa- Two Icons and Two Iconic Plays,” authors hope to educate connoisseurs about the literary riches of these great dramatists.
Archaeology Fundamentals
Archaeology is a fascinating study that can help us understand our beginnings and surroundings. It’s a multidisciplinary subject. It recreates the past world by analysing the meaning of the tiniest of data. Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute seems to be excited to announce the first-of-its-kind online Archaeology program.
Sanskrit Learning on the Internet
Digital Sanskrit Learning aims to provide genuine information on the Sanskrit literature reachable to the general population in an era of increased interest in India’s heritage and history. In the course of connecting out to lakhs of people, it became clear that a large number of individuals want to learn Sanskrit, mainly through digital channels, at their own pace & convenience. This is a no-cost course.
Vidya Ved
In many respects, the four Vedas & Vedic literature are the origins of Indian culture. It is most likely the world’s oldest surviving literary culture. Even millennia later, people may still see their imprints on Indian languages, traditions, culture, and overall way of living. This subject covers the four Vedas (Yajurveda, Rigveda, Samaveda, & Atharvaveda), as well as subsequent literature like Aaranyaka-s, Brahmana Texts, Upanishads, as well as the six Vedaanga-s. This course, designed and given by Doctor Mugdha Gadgil & Doctor Gauri Moghe, seeks to familiarise newcomers with Vedic literature as well as the culture of the Vedic time. This is the initial course in the Ved Vidya series, which is titled “Exploring the Vedic World.”
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
On July 6, 1917, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune was established to honour the name and accomplishments of Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, India’s preeminent leader of scientific Orientology. The Institution is a non-profit organisation based on Act XXI of 1860. The Maharashtra government contributes to it in part through annual allocated funding. The Institution has also obtained funds for particular research initiatives from the Indian government as well as the University Grants Commission. Throughout its several Memorial Lectureships, the Institute presents academic Lectures by foreign academics. The Academy also organises an All-India Oriental Conference, as well as different seminars and intellectual debates. The Institution also houses a Manuscripts Resource & Conservation Center, which is run by National Mission for Manuscripts, the mission of India’s Cultural Ministry. In summary, during the previous nine decades, the Institution has successfully served as a significant hub of Indological Research and Studies.
Scholarship in the twenty-first century cannot be limited to books. It must be translated into and distributed via the numerous digital platforms available today. The work that Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute is undertaking now through Bharat Vidya is extremely valuable. It is consistent with the vision given out by the Prime Minister during his speech on Independence Day, in which he outlined the five objectives for the upcoming 25 years and emphasised the need to commemorate, recall, and appreciate India’s civilizational history. The system resembling Bharat Vidya must not just concentrate on school & college learners but also on mature students who want to learn about India’s history and traditions. Bharat Vidya should pique the attention of mature students who have successfully established themselves in their occupations and professions.