JNU to offer course in ‘Yoga Philosophy’

Under ‘yoga in Bhagavad Gita’, we will be teaching about gyaan yoga, bhakti yoga and karm yoga.

Jawaharlal Nehru University will offer a certificate course in “Yoga Philosophy” from the next academic session.

The course was approved by its academic council (AC) on Friday, a day ahead of the university starting a four-day event to mark the third International Yoga Day on June 21. JNU is organizing yoga workshops starting Saturday.

The one-year course will be of two semesters during which students will be taught about topics such as ‘yoga in Bhagavad Gita’, ‘yoga for well being’ and ‘yoga tradition–pre-Patanjali and post-Patanjali’.

The “Certificate of Proficiency in Yoga Philosophy” will be open to students of all age groups and there will be no minimum qualification required to apply for the course, said a top JNU official.

The course will be offered by the Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies.

“Eight modules will be taught under the course. The ‘yoga & ayurveda’ module will teach students about holistic health care. Under ‘yoga in Bhagavad Gita’, we will be teaching about gyaan yoga, bhakti yoga and karm yoga,” Chintamani Mahapatra, JNU rector said.

Another module on ‘yoga for well being’ will teach students about how yoga can be used for the well being of individual, social and cosmic, he said.

The course has been in the past discussed in the AC but was sent back to the Sanskrit Centre with comments from other departments to improve it.

Meanwhile, the AC sent back a proposal of the School of Physical Sciences to start MSc in Mathematics after some centres said it should be circulated to all departments for feedback.

“The proposal has been circulated to different centres for feedback after which a decision is taken. The proposal to start MSc Mathematics will be taken up in next AC after receiving the feedback,” he said.

The AC also approved setting up of a “Special Centre for Disaster Research”.

Friday’s council meeting saw a section of teachers and students accusing the administration and some faculty members of “heckling” them.

At the same time, the administration denied the allegations and accused the section of students and teachers of spreading “misinformation” on social media.