Banaras Hindu University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jain Education Institutes Support, a not-for-profit trust in New Delhi. As part of the MoU, BHU will receive a donation of ₹1.05 crores to set up the Bhagwan Shreyasnath Jain Study Fund.
The Jain Education Institutes Support is instituted by eminent people including Dr Jasvant Modi, Harshad Shah, Dr Sulekh Jain, Dr Shugan C Jain and others. Dr Shugan C Jain along with Sharmila Jain Oswal, vice-chairperson of JAINA Diaspora and Bimal Prasad Jain had recently visited Banaras Hindu University and held discussions with vice-chancellor Prof Sudhir K Jain and the concerned faculty members on the way forward of the collaboration.
Vice-chancellor Prof Sudhir K Jain has formed a four-member program committee for the implementation of the MoU. The committee is chaired by Prof Mukul Raj Mehta, department of philosophy, faculty of arts, while Prof Ashok Kumar Jain and Prof Pradyumn Shah Singh, department of Jain-Bauddha Darshan, faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vijnan (SVDV), have been named members of the committee. Dr Anand Kumar Jain, department of Jain-Bauddha Darshan, faculty of SVDV, will be the member secretary of the committee.
The Bhagwan Shreyasnath Jain Study Fund will promote and support study and research in the field of Jainism. It will enable the scholars of Jain philosophy at BHU (both faculty members and PhD students) to effectively communicate to a wider international audience. The academic work on Jain philosophy under the initiative is proposed to be having an emphasis on English as a medium of communication to have a wider reach for an international audience.
“We are thankful to the Jain Education Institutes Support for this important gift. This gift is a significant step in the varsity’s endeavor to raise philanthropic funds to support the scholarly work of our students and faculty members. It will also give a fillip to the efforts of taking ancient Indian knowledge systems to a larger audience,” said the vice-chancellor Prof Sudhir Jain.
“This initial donation is a start to enable BHU to grow Jain studies into a vibrant program at the university. It is expected that eventually, the donors will establish an endowed Chair at BHU to further scale up its studies and activities in Jain Darshan and Philosophy. The focus will be on applied Jainism and its relevance in today’s world by taking a multidisciplinary approach,” said Sharmila Jain Oswal, on behalf of the donors. (Source: hindustantimes.com)
