Jaipur: Despite being one of the world’s oldest languages, Sanskrit is losing its popularity and demand gradually even though many colleges and universities in Rajasthan offer courses in the subject.
The department of Sanskrit in the University of Rajasthan provides masters and PhD courses, but applications of students have been declining over the years. There are about 60 seats in the department, but only around 10-12 students enroll on an average.
Rajesh Kumar, head of Sanskrit department said, “Students don’t opt for Sanskrit as they do not see any scope. They choose foreign languages like French or Spanish. Even the number of students who took Sanskrit as their optional subject in UPSC exam have reduced with the implementation of semester scheme as there are exams after every semester leaving no time for students to focus on their coaching studies. This is forcing them to opt for subjects like political science and history, which help them in their preparation.”
Students are more into technical, non-technical and medical fields nowadays as they see a wide range of career opportunities in those fields. “Students can learn Sanskrit and become scholars, professors and lecturers in government colleges and universities,” he said.
On the contrary, at elementary level, Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy in Jaipur is running 26 Vedashram in 19 districts to keep the spirit of Sanskrit language alive among children. The academy provides a 5-year certified course for students aged 10-12 years.
Sanjay Jhala, director of Rajasthan Sanskrit academy said, “The number of students has increased significantly from 448 in 2021 to 551 in 2022.”
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