Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launches Bhandarkar Institute’s ‘Bharat Vidya’ portal
- Bhandarkar Sanstha launches a new initiative with the ‘Bharat Vidya’ website based on Indian education
Established in 1917, The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute is a premier research institution in Indology and Asian Studies.
The institute undertakes a robust academic research program and is home to 28,000 rare manuscripts and 1,53,000 rare books. The institute has published close to 300 books and journals to date, which include magnum opuses like the Critical Edition of Mahabharata, History of Dharmashastra, and the Vedic Bibliography.
The Institute is now set to launch its online learning platform, Bharat Vidya, which will take this treasure trove of knowledge to people across the country and the globe.
www.bharatvidya.in provides on-demand and lifetime access to the subscribed online courses.
It will host free learning resources, as well as subscribed resources and courses, on India’s rich civilizational heritage and Indian Knowledge Systems that span areas like religion, literature and philosophy, governance and policy making, astronomy and mathematics, science and medicine, art and architecture, history and material culture, and the underpinning fundamental values of the Indian civilization.
The first 6 courses to be published on the 21st are – Ved-Vidya (introductory course for beginners), Darshana-s, Digital Sanskrit Learning (free course for spoken Sanskrit), Introduction to Mahabharata, Kalidasa and Bhasa, and Fundamentals of Archaeology
The platform will offer courses based on primary sources. It aims to reach to common people and to schools and colleges that lack qualified resources on the subjects. The courses are compliant with the new National Education Policy.
The platform has launched in the august presence of Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, the hon. Finance minister of India on September 21st, 2022.
Quotes
In the 21st century, scholarship cannot remain confined only to books. It has to translate into and reach out through various digital mediums that exist today. The work Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute is doing today through Bharat Vidya is of immense value. It aligns with the vision laid down by the Prime Minister in his Independence day speech, where he announced the 5 goals for the next 25 years and stressed on recalling, remembering, and cherishing India’s civilizational heritage. A platform like Bharat Vidya should not only focus on school and college students but also create resources for adult learners who wish to learn about India’s history and heritage. Bharat Vidya must cultivate the interest of such adult learners, who have already settled into their careers and professions.
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Hon. Finance minister of India
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute is the first institution to be established by the citizens of India. Since its inception, the institution has done the work of presenting and studying the history of India by Indian researchers. Through Bharat Vidya, we are taking the ancient knowledge of India to everyone. digitally
Mr Bhupal Patwardhan
Chairman EB, BORI
