Kalaburagi Jain youth seek Centre for Jain Studies at Central University

New Delhi / Kalaburagi: A delegation from the Kalaburagi District Jain Youth Forum has urged the Union government to establish a dedicated Centre for Jain Studies at the Central University of Karnataka (CUK), Kalaburagi, in memory of the late Param Pujya Karmayogi Swastishri Charukeerthi Bhattarak Mahaswamiji of Shravanabelagola, one of Jainism’s most revered spiritual centres.

Led by former Union Minister Bhagwant Khuba, the delegation met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi and submitted a formal memorandum seeking the creation of the proposed academic chair. The delegation highlighted the need for structured academic research and teaching on Jain philosophy, ethics, history, and contributions to Indian civilisation within a central university framework.

According to members of the Jain Youth Forum, the proposed centre would honour the legacy of Swastishri Charukeerthi Bhattarak Mahaswamiji, who served as the head of the Shravanabelagola Jain Math for decades and played a key role in promoting spiritual values, education, social reform, and interfaith harmony. Shravanabelagola, home to the iconic 57-foot monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara, is internationally recognised as a major Jain pilgrimage and cultural site.

The memorandum emphasised that a Jain Studies Centre at CUK would benefit students and scholars from across the country, particularly in the Deccan region, by facilitating interdisciplinary research in philosophy, history, archaeology, literature, and ethics. It also sought government support for academic fellowships, archival work, and public lectures connected to Jain traditions.

Sources present at the meeting said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responded positively to the request and assured the delegation that appropriate steps would be considered in consultation with academic bodies and university authorities.

The proposal will be examined in line with existing policies for establishing specialised research centres in central universities.

The Central University of Karnataka, established in 2009, has been steadily expanding its academic offerings and research initiatives.

If approved, the Jain Studies Centre would add a new dimension to the university’s humanities and social sciences programmes, while also preserving and promoting India’s rich Jain intellectual heritage at the national level.