Uttar Pradesh Expands Sanskrit Scholarship Scheme | 04 Nov 2024

Why in News?

Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government launched a new scholarship scheme to support Sanskrit education, enhancing eligibility and funding for students.

Key Points

  • Expansion:
    • The scheme now supports 69,195 students with a budget of Rs. 586 lakh, a significant increase from the previous 300 beneficiaries.
    • Unlike the prior scheme, which had strict age limits, the new scholarship is open to all qualified Sanskrit students across Uttar Pradesh.
    • CM emphasized Sanskrit's relevance to scientific fields such as computer science, encouraging students to view it as a language with broad applications.
  • Support for Traditional Gurukul Education:
    • Plans to revive gurukul-style schools were announced, with improved support for residential facilities and hiring of qualified teachers.
    • Establishment of a Vedic science center will facilitate research, integrating traditional Sanskrit knowledge with modern scientific inquiry.

Gurukul

  • The ‘Gurukul’ was a type of education system in ancient India with shishya (students) living with the guru in the same house.
  • Nalanda has the oldest university system of education in the world.
  • Students from across the world were attracted to Indian knowledge systems.