[harbansj24]

DEPRESSING

PM’s promise unfulfilled

AN INITIATIVE FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES OF GURU GRANTH GOES HAYWIRE

KS Chawla

Ludhiana, October 24
Vini Mahajan, Joint Secretary in the PMO, was specially drafted by the Prime Minister to monitor the ongoing development projects at Amritsar with central assistance.
She visited Amritsar last week and met officials and reviewed the progress of various projects.
Perhaps she did not know about one important and prestigious project on her list which Dr Manmohan Singh himself had announced in 2004 while participating in the quadra centenary celebrations of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib.
The Prime Minister had announced that a national institute of studies in Guru Granth Sahib would be established at Amritsar. In this connection, Guru Nank Dev University was entrusted the task of formulating the scheme and to follow it up with the Union Human Resource Ministry.
During the tenure of Dr S P Singh as Vice-Chancellor, 10 acres were also allotted for this purpose and a number of meetings were held with the UGC. A scheme was prepared and it was recommended that an autonomous national institute on the pattern of a Shimla institute be set up for the study of Guru Granth Sahib.
The scheme got acceptance at all stages, but the Union Finance Ministry sabotaged the entire project by saying that only a centre of excellence at Guru Nanak Dev University could serve the purpose. Interestingly, such a centre already exists in the Department of Guru Nanak Studies.
The GND varsity authorities again made a representation to the HRD ministry and a new committee, headed by Dr GK Chadha, a former Vice-Chancellor, JNU, and a member of the economic advisry panel of the PMO, was formed.
The Chadha committee recommended that only an advance study institute could serve the purpose. The Chadha Committee, at its meeting on April 21, 2008, recommended, “Having gone through all pros and cons, taking into notice the documents of the UGC and HRD ministry and having discussed the long-term viability of the proposal, the committee is of the view that in order to ensure the smooth growth of studies on Guru Granth Sahib, especially in the context of challenges of India within and without, the establishment of an institute rather than centre would be more appropriate and strongly recommends that the UGC should take the issue to the ministry of HRD at the earliest.”
The Tribune has learnt that the Chadha Committee report was later discussed in October 2008 at a meeting of the HRD ministry which was presided over by R.P Aggarwal, Secretary Education, and recommended the implementation of the Chadha Committee report. This meeting was also attended by Dr Jairoop Singh, then Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, and Anjali Bhara, former Secretary, Higher Education, Punjab.Anjali Bhawra had also pressed for the establishment of an autonomous national institute.
Academic circles of Punjab are disappointed at a commitment on behalf of the Prime Minister for the study of an important scriptural study having gone haywire.
Prof Prithipal Singh Kapur, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, who was associated with the formation of the project at various stages, has appealed to Manmohan Singh and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to look into the matter and get the project expedited.


EXITING

California varsity mulls Sikh Studies Chair
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 24
To make North Americans aware about Sikh Gurus and Sikhism, the University of Calfornia at Merced is contemplating to establish a Sikh Studies Chair at the varsity campus to facilitate research and higher studies in Sikhism.
Chancellor of University of California Steven Kang was so impressed with the Sikh religion and contribution of the hard-working Punjabis towards the development of USA that he has not only showcased a keen interest in setting up of the Chair for Sikh Studies, but has already started holding discussions with leading members of the Sikh community to give practical shape to the proposed project.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/community-out-reach/27241-two-opposite-news-one-depressing-another.html
According to sources, the Sikh studies chair project could also have been an effort to woo more than two lakh Punjabis of California, particularly Sikhs, who have been playing a major role in various spheres of life.
“Steven is so impressed with Sikh philosophy and way of life that he is making all out efforts to give shape of reality to his dream of setting up of a Sikh studies chair at the university,” said a Modesto (LA)-based leading oncologist Dr Amarjit Dhaliwal. Dhaliwal was here in connection with the body’s meeting scheduled to be held in California from August 12 to 14 in 2010. “Stevens has agreed in principle to establish the chair,” said Dhaliwal adding that it was probably for the first time that such a chair was being mooted in North America

[Narayanjot Kaur]

It is actually the 5th chair. The others are at Hofstra University in New York, University of California - Santa Barbara, University of Southern California - Riverside, and University of Michigan.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27241

The seat at Hofstra is the only Sikh Studies Chair in a Department of Sikh Studies. The other three are endowed chairs of Sikh Studies located in Religious Studies or Asian Studies departments.