Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India, is extending support to universities across the country for establishing Centres of Excellence dedicated to the promotion and preservation of heritage and classical languages under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK).

As part of this initiative, the Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV), Indore, hosted a National Seminar on “Jainism and Indian Knowledge System”, marking the launch of its Centre for Jain Studies, approved at a cost of ₹27.16 crore by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under PMJVK.

The event was graced by Minister for Higher Education, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Inder Singh Parmar  and Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, along with Shri Ram Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs.

During his visit, Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar also undertook a field tour of the university campus and interacted with faculty members. He urged the university to develop the Centre for Jain Studies as a Centre of Global Excellence, integrating modern technology and digital tools for research, documentation, and dissemination. Emphasizing the role of technology, he highlighted the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in preserving, digitizing, and promoting heritage languages for wider academic and cultural engagement.

Ministry of Minority Affairs has already established Centres of Excellence at: University of Mumbai – for the study of Pali, Prakrit, and Avesta Pahlavi and Gujarat University – for the study of Prakrit languages.These Centres aim to promote advanced research, translation, digitization of manuscripts, and the integration of traditional knowledge with modern pedagogy. Through this initiative, the Ministry seeks to safeguard India’s linguistic and philosophical heritage and strengthen the intellectual traditions of the country’s diverse communities.

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