Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute has launched a new five-year integrated academic programme, Bharat-Vidya, while unveiling its ambitious Vision 2047 roadmap to secure the coveted Institute of National Importance (INI) status. The initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aims to strengthen higher education through a blend of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and global academic traditions.

The announcement was made by Deccan College Chancellor Prof. Bhushan Patwardhan during a press conference at the institute's Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology (AIHC&A).

The Bharat-Vidya programme has been designed as a five-year integrated course with multiple exit options in line with NEP 2020. Students will receive an undergraduate degree after three years upon completing 120 credits, an honours degree after four years with 160 credits, and a postgraduate degree after five years after earning 200 credits.

The first two years of the programme will provide a common interdisciplinary foundation covering civilisational studies, Indian philosophy, classical languages, ecology, governance, ethics, science, and the arts. From the third year onwards, students will choose a specialisation, while the final two years will emphasise advanced research, internships, and dissertation work.

Initially, the programme will offer five specialised streams: 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 week, with scholarships planned for meritorious students.

As part of its broader academic expansion, Deccan College will serve as the anchor institution for 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, Nagpur, and SNDT Women's University, before expanding nationally through ABHA National.

Under the initiative, Deccan College will lead curriculum design and faculty development during the first phase. To support capacity building, the institute has proposed a ₹10 crore seed grant from the Maharashtra government to establish the proposed Maharashtra State Faculty Development Academy (MSFDA) for faculty training.

Alongside the academic reforms, the institute unveiled its Vision 2047 development strategy, aimed at transforming Deccan College into an Institute of National Importance dedicated to humanities, civilisational studies, archaeology, linguistics, Sanskrit, anthropology, and heritage sciences.

A vision committee, consultative group, and an independent peer review committee chaired by Prof. Amba Kulkarni of IIT Hyderabad have been constituted to guide the transformation. The peer review committee is scheduled to visit the campus in August.

The proposal also seeks central government funding on the lines of premier research institutions such as IISc, TIFR, and JNCASR, while prioritising the conservation of Deccan College's historic Yerawada campus and strengthening its research ecosystem.

"Our vision is to build on Deccan College's established scholarship and transform it into an Institute of National Importance for humanities, civilisational and human studies, emerging as a global centre of excellence in research and education," Prof. Patwardhan said.