Sanskrit college estd . 1824

1. Sanskrit collegeestd. 1824 Presented by ParthaGangopadhyay WBES Assistant Professor Dept. of English Sanskrit College, Kolkata

2. TOL: Definition • The traditional system of learning in India • The system has methodologies for learning all disciplines and subjects • It is not a system of learning only a particular language • The system is highly dependent on ancient ‘guru sishyaparampara’

3. Purpose of Establishment • The then British Government of East India Company established the College • The aim was preserving and sustaining the traditional system of learning in India which was then facing serious challenge from the emerging western model of education

4. Tradition reinforcing the Modern • Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar: developing Bengali language • Madhusudan Gupta: First Indian to dissect a human body in India • MadanmohanTarkalankar: poet and historian • HaraprasadSastri: catalogue of manuscripts in Bangla • ShibnathSashtri: Reformer, educationist, historian

5. Sanskrit College: synthesis of tradition and modernity • In course of time the University system was introduced in the College • The traditional system and university system have not only co-existed but complimented each other • Allied subjects (Linguistics, Pali, Ancient Indian History): In the service of Sanskrit • Modern subjects(English, Bangla, Philosophy, Political Science): Introduced to integrate tradition and modernity

6. TOL: The Lustre Lost Reasons: • The teaching posts lying vacant for long time • Absence of a regulating authority for supervising curriculum and timely examination • No modification of syllabi/curriculum to accommodate contemporary expectations • Devaluation and corruption in TOLs external to Sanskrit College

7. Reviving the Lost Glory • Establish a separate board/council to affiliate all TOLs all over the state for quality assurance • Immediate need to regulate admission and examination • Modify and modernize the course to meet demands of the time • Explicit, universal and transparent equivalence rules between TOL and mainstream system • Restrict the Board/Council to regulate TOL system to secondary and Higher Secondary level. • Urge upon the Universities to open B.A & M.A courses in Sanskrit in Traditional system / allow Colleges to run such courses autonomously

8. Relevance of TOL system • Specialization in various disciplines • Dedicated scholarship • Scope for Concentrated research for convergence of ancient knowledge with modern needs

9. Sanskrit College TOL: Challenges • Only three departments of the sixteen existing with only one teacher in each department • Immediate steps be taken to open other departments • No access to curriculum/course design by the College authority • No access to admission or examination by the College authority

10. Sanskrit College TOL: A few observations • Infrastructure AVAILABLE: a well equipped library, well qualified teachers • Infrastructure NEEDS: • Additional space for Classroom, library and hostel (could easily be made available by vacating the space occupied by Hindi Academy and WB Book Board) • Employment of more teachers • Restricting the TOL to conduct courses equivalent to B.A and M.A • Urge upon the C.U to affiliate such courses/academic autonomy to Sanskrit College TOL to run such courses.

11. Thank You