Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan

About Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan

Sanskrit has played a vital role in the development of all Indian languages and in the preservation of the cultural heritage of India. No Indian language can flourish without the help of Sanskrit. Sanskrit also provides the theoretical foundation of ancient sciences. Hence, it becomes essential to preserve and propagate Sanskrit for all-round development of India. Fully conscious of this responsibility, the Govt. of India, in pursuance of the recommendations of the Sanskrit Commission (1956-57) constituted a Central Sanskrit Board, which recommended the establishment of a Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan. Accordingly, the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan was established was established in 15th October, 1970  as an autonomous organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (Act XXI of 1860) for the development and promotion of Sanskrit all over the country. It is fully funded by Government of India. It functions as an apex body for propagation and development of Sanskrit and assists the Ministry of Human Resource Development in formulating and implementing various plans and schemes for the development of Sanskrit studies. It has assumed the role of a nodal body for the effective implementation of various recommendations made by the Sanskrit Commission set up by the Government of India, Ministry of Education in 1956 to consider the propagation and development of Sanskrit language and education in all its aspects. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan  has now been declared as Deemed University on the recommendation of University Grants Commission by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher & Secondary Education, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi  vide their notification No. 9-28/2000-U.3 dated 7th May, 2002. Prof. Ram Karan Sharma was the founder Director of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan. The Sansthan has entered into its new building on the auspicious occasion of the Sanskrit Day on 28th August  1996. This building is equipped with more facilities like Library, Computer Centre, Modern Conference Room, Committee Room, Guest Room, Sales Centre, Canteen etc.

The Sansthan is running ten Campuses namely:  

1. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) Ganganath Jha Campus, Allahabad (U.P.).
2. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) Shri Sadashiv Campus, Puri (Orissa).
3. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University ) Shri Ranbir Campus, Jammu (J & K).
4. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) Guruvayoor Campus, Trichur (Kerala).
5. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) Jaipur Campus, Jaipur (Rajasthan).
6. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) Lucknow Campus, Lucknow (U.P.).
7. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) Rajiv Gandhi Campus, Sringeri (Karnataka).
8. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) Garli Campus, Kangra (H.P.).
9. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) Bhopal Campus, Bhopal (M.P.).
10. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University) K.J. Somaiya Campus, Mumbai (Maharashtra).

In addition to these ten  constituent Vidyapeethas, Sansthan's two other Kendriya  Sanskrit Vidyapeethas namely Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit  Vidyapeetha at New Delhi and Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha at Tirupati,  formerly constituent Vidyapeethas of Sansthan have been converted into deemed Universities.

Teaching of Sanskrit is done on traditional lines at secondary, under- graduate, graduate, postgraduate and doctorate level. In addition to ten constituent Campuses there are twenty three Adarsh Sanskrit Mahavidyalayas, Shodh-Sansthans and about 84 Sanskrit  Institutions managed by voluntary organisations and affiliated to the Sansthan.

These Institutions have the provision of imparting instructions for the following courses :

Courses                                                 Equivalent to

Prathama.                                                Middle.
Purva-Madhyama.                                    Secondary.
Uttara-Madhyama / Prak-shastri.             Sr. Secondary.
Shastri.                                                    B.A.
Acharya.                                                   M.A.
Shiksha Shastri.                                       B. Ed.
Shiksha Acharya.                                     M.Ed.
Vidya Varidhi.                                           Ph. D.
Vidyavachaspati.                                      D. Litt.                        

The teaching is imparted to the students in all the Campuses (except Allahabad) upto Acharya in the departments of Sahitya, Nyaya, Vyakarana, Dharmasastra, Purana, Advaita Vedanta, Jaina – Darshan, Navya – Nyaya, Sankhya – Yoga, Mimamsa and Jyotish. Besides, the modern languages and subjects, Vidyapeethas offer research facilities to aspiring scholars to produce brilliant research works leading to the award of Vidya- varidhi degrees.

Faculty

• Vyakaran.
• Sahitya.
• Jyotish.
• Nyaya.
• Vedant.
• Sastra.
• Sarvdarshan.
• Mimansha.
• Sankhya-Yoga.
• Jain Darshan.
• Puranitihas.
• Bodh Darshan.
• Shiksha Shastra.
• Sanskrit.
• English.
• Oriya.
• Malyalam.
• Hindi.
• Economics.
• Pol. Science.
• History.
• Maths.

Facilities

Correspondence Courses - Sansthan runs correspondence courses for learning Sanskrit language through Hindi and English medium for general learners of Sanskrit in India and abroad at two levels viz."

1. Introductory course in Sanskrit Ist year.
2. Introductory course in Sanskrit IInd year.

The session of the courses starts in January and ends in October every year. Advertisement for admission to these courses is given in different national and regional newspaper. The session of the courses starts in January and ends in October every year. Advertisement for admission to these courses is given in different national and regional newspaper. Generally, duration of admission is 1st November to 31st December every year. However, the Vice- Chancellor may allow admission to the courses beyond this period also as special case. According to the plan of the course, a candidate having good knowledge of Hindi or English is eligible for admission to first year course. For admission to the second year course a candidate should have completed the first year introductory course or should have elementary knowledge of Sanskrit language. On successfully completion of the second year introductory course, a certificate is awarded to the candidate. Every month, two lessons of the respective courses are sent to the learners by post.

Each lessons of these courses is divided into the following sections :

• Grammar.
• Text.
• Glossary.
• Grammatical Noted.
• Response Sheet.

The learners have to learn the lessons and return the completed response sheet to the Asst. Director (CC) for evaluation and gradation. Thereafter, the response sheets are sent back to the learners. No separate examination is conducted for award of certificates. The certificates are awarded on the basis of grade marks.

Library - Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan has a library with vast collection of books including digital books, catalogues and thesis. The library facilitates book bank so that the students have access to wide information collected by the library. It has also established a publication that shoulders the responsibility of bringing out the thesis and writings of various scholars involved with the Sansthan.

Implementations of the Schemes of the Ministry of HRD for promotion of Sanskrit

1. Shastra Chudamani Scheme - Under this scheme eminent retired teachers  / scholars of Sanskrit are appointed in the Campuses of the Sansthan and other Sanskrit institutions for a period of two years (extendable for one year) to give in-depth training to young scholars and students in different shastras / disciplines of Sanskrit learning.
2. Book Purchase Scheme - Under this scheme printed Sanskrit books are purchased from authors or publishers and are distributed among the libraries of Sanskrit institutions free of cost.
3. Vocational Training Scheme-  Under this scheme, Sanskrit institutions are granted financial assistance for organising short term vocational training to the students of Sanskrit in Jyotish, Karmakanda, Paleography, Cataloguing Manuscriptology, Sanskrit shorthand, typewriting etc.
4. Financial Assistance to Voluntary Sanskrit Organisations -  Under this scheme, financial assistance to the extent of 75% is given to the Voluntary Sanskrit Organisations/Institutions to continue and to expand their activities in the field of propagation and development of Sanskrit.
5. Financial Assistance to institutions recognised as Adarsh Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya / Shodh Sansthans - Under this scheme, selected traditional Sanskrit Mahavidyalayas/Shodh Sansthans in different parts of the country are recognised and sanctioned grant to the extent 95% on recurring items and 75% on non-recurring items of expenditure. At present there are 23 Institutions recognised under this scheme.

Sanskrit Net Project - The Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan is telecasting its production for learners of Sanskrit through the Bhasha Mandakini Channel (Gyan Darshan) of  IGNOU.  The production of the Sansthan is also telecast from DD Bharati & DD India Channel.  The project will continue for the next year. The production is also available in VCD.

Scholarships - There are 2 categories of scholarships granted by the RSS to candidates.

Under the first category, scholarships are awarded to the students enrolled in the Vidyapeethas. The fund for these scholarships is allotted from provisions made in the annual financial budgets of each of these Vidyapeethas.

The second category of scholarship is granted under the following heads:

1. Research Scholarships for students who are enrolled in Pathshalas. 
2. Post Matriculation Scholarships to students for taking up B.A., M.A. and Ph.D courses in conventional subjects.

Award of Certificate of Honour to Eminent Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian Scholars - `Under this scheme, eminent scholars, 15 in Sanskrit,10 in Prakrit, 3 in Arabic and 3 in Persian, are awarded President's Certificate of Honour on the eve of Independence Day every year by Govt. of India and they are sanctioned Lifelong monetary grant of RS.50, 000/- p.a.

All India Sanskrit Elocution Contest - Under this scheme, an All India Sanskrit Elocution contest for the students of traditional pathashalas, is organised every year in different parts of the country in eight shastraic subjects, besides Slokantyakshari and Samasyapurti.

Financial Assistance for publication - The Sansthan provides financial assistance up to 80% for the publication of original works in Sanskrit to individual scholars and institutions. Under the same scheme assistance is also being rendered for bringing out Sanskrit works of great merit that had gone out of circulation or often not available in Devanagari script. This encourages Publishing house of repute to bring out a large number of publications that become available to the Sanskrit lovers at reasonable prices because of the high level of subsidy.

Publication of rare manuscripts and research works - The Sansthan has been publishing a large number of rare Sanskrit manuscripts carefully edited by scholars and also bringing out research works of the constituent units.