Lok Sabha Question No. 227 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-17
Subject: Sanskrit Language
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PINAKI MISRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 227 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.07.2017

## Sanskrit Language

## 227. SHRI PINAKI MISRA :

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether it is a fact that the percentage of students opting Sanskrit language have reduced considerably in the last ten years;
- (b)   whether it is also a fact that the number of Sanskrit teachers has also reduced considerably in the last decade due to lack of job opportunities; and
- (c)   if so, whether the Government is considering to revive the education of Sanskrit language in schools and colleges and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

- (a):  The  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  doesn't  maintain  record  of  number  of students  opting  Sanskrit  Language  in  Schools  and  Colleges.  Institutes  engaged  in  imparting knowledge of Sanskrit Language such as Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati and Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, New Delhi and colleges under University Grant Commission have reported that the enrolment of students is increasing year by year. However, the information received from Central Board of Secondary Education states that enrolment of students in Class X has increased whereas in Class XII it is reducing marginally over the last three years.
- (b):  The  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  doesn't  maintain  record  of  number  of teachers engaged in Sanskrit Teaching in Schools and Colleges. However, as per information available  there  is  no  reduction  in  the  posts  of  Sanskrit  Teachers.  There  are  ample  job opportunities available in Government Sector as well as in Private Institutions for the students learning Sanskrit Language.

(c): The Ministry of Human Resource Development commissioned a study on the development of Sanskrit in various educational institutions under the Chairmanship of Shri N. Gopalaswami, former Chief Election Commissioner. The report interalia suggested that a Sanskrit Cell may be created, to facilitate study  of  Science  and  Technology  in  Sanskrit  literature  and  inter disciplinary  study  of  various  modern  subjects  and  its  corresponding  subjects  in  Sanskrit literature,  by  all  institutions  from  school  education  to  higher  education  and  all  top  level institutions like Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), Indian Council of Historical Research  (ICHR),  Indian  Council  of  Social  Science  Research  (ICSSR),  Indian  Institutes  of Technology  (IITs),  National  Institute  of  Technology  (NITs),  Indian  Institutes  of  Science Education and Research (IISERs), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Central Universities and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approved technical colleges. The report of the Committee is available at http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload\_files/mhrd/files/Report-CVRM.pdf. The report has been circulated to all concerned institutions for implementing the recommendations of the committee which are implementable within the existing policy framework.

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