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Sanskrit/Punjabi courses abroad: Just 4 enrollments
2 Oct
Summary
- Only four students enrolled in newly announced language courses.
- One foreign national, an American, joined the Punjabi program.
- Courses were intended for NRI students but saw low enrollment.
Panjab University's initiative to offer Sanskrit and Punjabi courses to Indian-origin students abroad has experienced a slow beginning, with only four students enrolling in the inaugural batch against approximately 60 available seats. The programs, initially planned under the Institute of Global Studies (IGS) and later reassigned to their respective language departments, now comprise three students in Sanskrit and one in Punjabi.
The sole foreign national is an American student registered in the Punjabi program. Notably, all three students in the Sanskrit program are Indian nationals, despite the course being specifically designed for Non-Resident Indian (NRI) students who may have limited prior exposure to Sanskrit. Faculty members cited insufficient advertising among the intended overseas demographic as a primary reason for the low turnout.
The university had announced these certificate courses in September 2025, envisioning a blended learning approach combining online modules with interactive sessions for NRI students. However, by January 2026, the academic role of IGS was scaled down, and the programs were transferred to the Sanskrit and Punjabi departments, with IGS retaining a coordinating function for international outreach.
The six-month, four-credit online Sanskrit certificate course includes basic language instruction and a paper on the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads. The Punjabi course covers language, literature, and culture from a global perspective. Both programs aim to introduce Sanskrit and Punjabi to overseas students, connecting them with Indian heritage and personal development themes.
