The Role
The Government of India announced the “National Education Policy-2020” on 29th July 2020 with a view to transform the education system in India. For the first time in 34 years, a major change has been made in the education policy in the country. This policy touches all areas from child education to higher education, vocational education to teacher training. The key features of the policy are holistic personality development of students, skill-based learning, use of mother tongue and Indian languages, inclusiveness, multilingualism, digital literacy and value-based learning. In this policy, special emphasis has been laid on preserving Indian culture, tradition and knowledge. In this context, the policy clearly intends to promote the promotion and propagation of Sanskrit language.
Sanskrit is India’s oldest language and is considered the mother of all Indian languages. The Sanskrit language has original texts from various fields such as Vedic literature, theology, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, Ayurveda, economics, and Natya Shastra. This language is not limited to religious or traditional matters, but has become a medium to express thoughts in a knowledge-based and scientific manner. Even today, the study of Sanskrit helps us understand the scientific and intellectual richness of the Indian knowledge tradition. Therefore, a policy highlighting the need for the preservation and propagation of Sanskrit language was absolutely necessary.
There are many positive provisions regarding Sanskrit language in the National Education Policy. According to this policy, Sanskrit will be taught in a more comprehensive and alternative form in school and higher education. Apart from this, the importance of Sanskrit in a multilingual context along with other Indian languages has been highlighted. But in reality, while implementing these provisions of the policy, various difficulties, mindset of the teachers, aptitude of the students, educational resources, etc. become important.
Against this background, this research has been implemented in the form of ‘based on the point of view of senior college professors’. Education policy is not just a government document, the role of teachers is very important in the actual implementation. Therefore, it is necessary to study how they have interpreted the provisions related to Sanskrit in the policy, what are their experiences, what are their difficulties, and what are their expectations from the policy. This will help in elucidating the face-to-face nature of policy implementation related to teaching of Sanskrit and will be useful in future policy formulation.
Historical, cultural and educational significance of Sanskrit language
Sanskrit is considered to be the oldest language of the Indian subcontinent. This language is not just a dialect but a basic pillar of India’s cultural, religious, philosophical and educational tradition. The Sanskrit language, which dates back to the Vedic period, is hailed as’ Devvani ‘and has its origins thousands of years ago. Sanskrit is the language of the four Vedas – Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda. These Vedas contain not only religious or spiritual thoughts, but also original thoughts on various subjects such as sociology, geography, astronomy, mathematics, environment, health, and politics.
Historically, Sanskrit was the language used in ancient Indian courts, educational institutions, and public affairs. In ancient universities like Taxila, Nalanda, Vallabhi, Vikramshila etc the language of education was Sanskrit only. The Sanskrit language is also used in many other sciences such as music, art, medicine, medicine, astronomy, medicine, and medicine. This makes Sanskrit a multidimensional and knowledge-intensive language.
From the cultural point of view, the place of Sanskrit is very important. In the Indian tradition, all religious rituals, mantras, hymns, shlokas, Puranas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata are recited and pronounced in Sanskrit. This language is used for religious, moral, value education and spiritual upliftment. Many eminent philosophers, writers and cultural scholars of the world have liberally praised the richness of Sanskrit language. The Sanskrit language is not only limited to India but also influences the ancient texts, inscriptions and cultural traditions of Tibet, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, etc.
From the pedagogical point of view, Sanskrit language is helpful in enhancing the logical, linguistic and memory power of the students. The grammatical foundation of Sanskrit is highly disciplined and scientific, and texts such as Panini’s Ashtadhyayi present the fundamentals of linguistics with consistency. Even today, the study of Sanskrit is useful in computer science, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing. The straight, pure and clear pronunciation, conciseness and expressiveness of Sanskrit can lead to academic excellence.
In this way, Sanskrit becomes the soul of Indian civilization, philosophy and education. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to give priority to the promotion of Sanskrit in the National Education Policy.
The need for study and reference
The vision that India’s education policy should be one that considers national values, cultural identity and all-round development, not just limited to imparting knowledge, is clearly reflected in the ‘New National Education Policy 2020’. In this policy, emphasis has been laid on the promotion of Indian languages, especially Sanskrit. The use of Sanskrit is being encouraged at the school as well as higher education level so that the ancient Indian knowledge tradition reaches the students. However, the mindset, resources, trained manpower, and in-depth understanding of the policy are equally important for the implementation of the policy.
The viewpoint of the faculty in the higher education sector is very important for the effective implementation of the provisions made in the policy related to Sanskrit. Teachers are an important means of implementing educational policy. Therefore, it is necessary to study their role, experience and thoughts. Taking the view of college professors in the periphery of Shivaji University Kolhapur, one can get a concrete idea of the reality, difficulties and opportunities of Sanskrit implementation in this policy.
In addition, there is often a gap between government policy and its actual implementation. While the policy is very positive on paper, its nature at the local level, implementation barriers, and user expectations can be different. That is why the focus of this research is to gain objective and first-hand knowledge regarding policy, by compiling perspectives based on the experiences of the faculty in this study.
The revival of a traditional, yet knowledge-intensive language like Sanskrit requires strategic efforts, and the need of the hour is to analyze the feedback of the concerned persons in the academic field for the success of these efforts. It is for this reason that the usefulness of this study can be valued not only within the academic limits, but also for the policy formulation and implementation process.
o Majority of the faculty have welcomed the place of Sanskrit language in the policy and they consider Sanskrit from a conservationist point of view.
o Some professors had mixed reactions to the policy. Some experienced practical difficulties in the formulation and implementation of the policy.
o Overall, the faculty is positive about the educational and cultural value of Sanskrit, but practical improvements are needed for the effectiveness of the policy.
2. An understanding and reflection of the policy
It turned out that only 24% of professors were fully aware of the policy. Most of the professors have partial knowledge of the policy, while some had very little knowledge.
It is clear that there is a great need for policy awareness.
o Those who have an understanding of policy highlighted the importance of cultural bonding and value education among students through Sanskrit.
3. Challenges in implementation
o The faculty involved in the survey explained the major implementation challenges such as shortage of trained faculty, lack of interest among students, lack of clarity in curriculum, and limitation of materials / tools.
o Most opined the need for training, grants and policy clarity at the government level to overcome the difficulties.
o Some faculty members expressed the need to use innovative and participatory teaching methods to generate interest among the students.
Suggestions and Recommendations
Separate funds should be provided for the promotion of Sanskrit.
Workshops and guidance sessions should be conducted for teachers and principals before the implementation of the policy.
Teachers trained in Sanskrit should be recruited immediately.
A campaign should be launched to disseminate information about the National Education Policy to principals, teachers and students in Marathi and simple language.
The colleges in rural and semi-urban areas should be provided with modern technical equipment and digital materials.
2. for the college administration
Lectures, essay competitions, and elocution sessions should be organized to attract students towards Sanskrit.
Creation of a Resource Centre to provide study material and audio-visual aids to the students.
Increase participation in ‘Faculty Development Programmes’ in coordination with the government for the training of teachers.
Ensure inclusion of Sanskrit in research, projects and curricular activities.
The progress of implementation of the policy needs to be regularly reviewed and reported.
3. For students and teachers
Students should look at learning Sanskrit not only as a subject, but also from the point of view of value education, philosophical thinking and cultural enrichment.
• Teachers should adopt innovative methods (such as dialogue-centered teaching, story-poetry medium) for teaching Sanskrit.
Promotion of Sanskrit through student groups, study circles, and literary conferences.
• Teachers should acquire the latest teaching techniques and pedagogy through self-study and training.
Enrich the teaching process by making maximum use of online resources (MOOCs, YouTube, E-content).
The recommendations are aimed at creating a multi-cultural, multi-layered system for the empowerment of Sanskrit language.
