Rajasthan Governor calls for education beyond textbooks, wider use of Sanskrit

Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde has called on universities to move beyond textbook-based learning and focus on developing students’ awareness, intellectual abilities and wisdom, saying education should prepare young people to understand and respond to real-life situations.

 

Speaking at the eighth convocation of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Rajasthan Sanskrit University, Bagde said the object of education should not be restricted to gaining information. Students, he said, should be encouraged to apply what they learn in their day-to-day lives and develop the ability to differentiate between what is right and wrong.

 

The Governor also stressed the need to widen the use of Sanskrit beyond academic and traditional settings. He said the ancient language could grow more rapidly if it became a part of widespread public communication and was used regularly in daily life.

 

Calling Sanskrit one of the world’s oldest languages, Bagde said its knowledge traditions had been preserved and passed down through the oral recitation. He said greater efforts should be made to make sure that the language remained relevant and accessible to a greater section of society.

 

Speaking of India’s long intellectual and knowledge traditions, Bagde said knowledge could not simply disappear when institutions that preserved it were destroyed. Referring to the historic destruction of the Nalanda library, he added India’s knowledge continued to thrive despite such events.

 

The Governor also spoke of India’s contributions to science and technology and claimed that elements of its traditional knowledge were later attributed to the Western world.

 

Recalling the teachings of social reformer Ramanandacharya, Bagde quoted the message, “Jaat paat pooche nahi koi, Hari ko bhaje so Hari ka hoi,” and said the message had emphasized the need for equality and for rejecting caste-based discrimination.

 

He said the saints and spiritual leaders had played their part in social welfare and described Narayandasji Maharaj, who inspired the setting up of the Sanskrit university, as a visionary who understood the importance of preserving knowledge.

 

During the convocation, Bagde launched the website of Rajasthan Mantra Pratishthan, an initiative started by the university, and conferred honorary Vidyavachaspati degrees on Brahmarshi Guruvanand Swami and Prof Ramesh Kumar Pandey.

 

The Governor also gave out PhD degrees, gold medals and other degrees to students at the convocation. University Vice-Chancellor Prof Madan Mohan Jha presented the institution’s progress report while Central Sanskrit University Vice-Chancellor Prof Srinivas Varkhedi spoke on the convocation.

 

Bagde’s statements stressed the need to see beyond the realm of higher education – to pursue a vision that combined both academic knowledge and practical understanding, critical awareness and social values. His call for greater public use of Sanskrit also highlighted the university’s efforts to keep the language connected to contemporary society.