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HRD ministry asks universities to start yogic art and science department TNN | Jan 21, 2016, 08.47 PM IST

YDERABAD: Universities in the country will be required to introduce yogic education. This diktat comes from the union ministry of human resource development. A 12-member H committee has also been formed for prescribing the syllabus. A meeting of vice-chancellors was also held in Bengaluru on January 2 where various aspects of setting up of departments of yogic art and science in universities will be looked into.

"I did not attend it because there was no invitation. But I will be happy to set up the department. We need to restructure the university and it is a good idea to introduce yogic education. Since the idea has come from the

File photo ministry itself, it would only be expected that the ministry will provide the resources," Mohd Aslam Parvaiz, vice-chancellor of Moulana Azad National Urdu University said. The university was set up in 1998.

A functionary of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) told TOI on phone that universities do have some functional autonomy. "If there is a directive from the ministry, it will be taken into consideration by the university," said Prof Ikram Hussain, chairman, department of physical education, AMU, Uttar Pradesh.

Andhra University in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh already has a department of yoga consciousness. "We also have a Andhra University in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh already has a department of yoga consciousness. "We also have a post-graduate programme and the third batch of students are now studying the course," Prof P Nirmala Devi who heads the department said.

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development set up a committee with the University Grants Commission (UGC) secretary as member-convenor. The chairperson of the committee is H R Nagendra, chancellor, Swami Vevekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru.

The members include Prof Suresh Lal Barnawal, head, department of Yoga Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya Gayantrikunj- Shantikunj, , Prof Ishwar Bharadwaj, head, department of yogic sciences, Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar, Prof Neel Kamal, university of Patanjali, Haridwar, Swami Atmapriyananda, vice-chancellor, Ramakrishna Vivekananda University, Kolkata, Pandit Radhy Shyam, director, Ujjain Yoga Life Society International, Ujjain, Prof O P Tiwari, Kaivalayadhama, Lonawala, Prof Subramanyam, adviser, Vivekananda collge, maduria, Prof P Venkat Rangam, vice-chancellor, Amrita Univesrity, Coimbatore, Rupen Bhowmik, working president, Indian Yoga Federation, Agartala and joint secretary, department of Ayush.

The committee will submit its report in 45 days. The committee, among other things, will be required to identify the courses and programmes in yogic art and science for certificate, diploma, degree, post graduate degree/post graduate diploma and research level.

The committee will also prescribe the syllabus for conducting National Eligibility Test (Net) in Yogic Art and Science. It will also prescribe qualifications for the faculty.

The terms of reference of the committee will include to identify universities where departments of yoga already exist and to consider whether they can be upgraded to be developed as depatments of yogic art and science.