Assam Government and Vishva Bharati University Sign MoU for Srimanta Sankardeva Chair

The Assam government and Vishva Bharati University have inked a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Srimanta Sankardeva Chair at the varsity in West Bengal. The initiative aims to advance scholarship and research on the Bhakti movement and Srimanta Sankardeva's contributions to Indian society.

The Assam government and Vishva Bharati University signed a Memorandum of Understanding Thursday to establish a Srimanta Sankardeva Chair at the university in West Bengal.

The agreement was signed with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Visva Bharati Vice Chancellor Arabinda Mondal in attendance.

Chief Minister Sarma emphasized Sankardeva's teachings, which have illuminated Assam for centuries and advocated for the unification of Sanatan Dharma, transcending individual caste identities.

Sarma encouraged the academic community to utilize this agreement to foster scholarship around Sankardeva's significant contributions to Indian society.

Furthermore, the Chair, funded by a Rs 5 crore grant, will promote the study and research of Srimanta Sankardeva and his Bhakti movement on a broader, international scale.

The MoU will also support doctoral and post-doctoral research on the Bhakti movement's history, literature, and cultural impact.

Earlier, similar Srimanta Sankardeva Chairs were established at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi and Punjab University in Chandigarh.

(With inputs from agencies.)