Sri Shankaracharya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Kalady has started the ‘Sanskrit Model School’ project to offer free Sanskrit learning program to the public.
The program will be offered through 50 selected model schools for a period of three years. It is being launched using the financial assistance under the ‘Ashtadashi Project’ of Central Sanskrit University. The Sanskrit Model School project is part of various schemes launched by the university to popularize the language using central assistance.
Students and the public interested in learning Sanskrit can attend the program free of charge. They can join a nearby model school to pursue the course. Officials said that the learners will learn about the rich Sanskrit tradition and culture of the state as well as the nuances of the language. Central Sanskrit University has allocated Rs 30 lakh for the project.
Higher Education Minister R. Bindu inaugurated the state-level rollout of the project at the main campus in Kalady on Friday. He said that this project is part of the initiative of the University to popularize Sanskrit and its rich heritage among the masses. He said that universities have to play an important role in harnessing the benefits of the knowledge economy.
The university has also decided to reprint Sree Narayana Guru’s philosophical text ‘Atmopadesh Satakam’ or ‘One Hundred Verses on Self-Direction’, which has 100 verses describing actions for self-transformation. Central Sanskrit University has allocated ₹2.5 lakh for its reprint under the Ashtadashi project.