The Assam government has earmarked Rs 50 crore for infrastructure at Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University in Nalbari, with the state also planning new departments and an affiliation with a Guwahati institution.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the allocation at the university’s third convocation on Sunday, where 1,873 students received degrees and certificates. The announcement places the university’s campus infrastructure at the centre of Assam’s plan to expand higher education in traditional knowledge and related fields.
Sarma said Krishnakanta Handiqui Sanskrit College in Guwahati would be affiliated with the university. The government also plans to introduce departments covering Ayurveda, Naturopathy and Archaeology, although the announcement did not specify the construction schedule, facilities to be created or the release mechanism for the Rs 50 crore allocation.
The proposed expansion links the university’s physical growth with courses and research areas that the chief minister said could respond to emerging demand for specialised skills. These include the preservation of ancient manuscripts, computational analysis in Sanskrit, practical applications of Yoga and Naturopathy, and the scientific analysis of Astrology and Vastu Shastra.
Sarma said Assam needed at least 2,000 people skilled in performing religious rituals and reciting Sanskrit mantras. He described the requirement as a potential source of livelihood and income generation. He also suggested short-term courses in Vedic Mathematics, Naturopathy, Astrology and Ayurveda to address contemporary demand.
The announcement combines a capital allocation with a broader institutional expansion strategy. Infrastructure spending at the university is expected to support the proposed departments, but the government has not yet disclosed whether the funds will be used for academic buildings, laboratories, libraries, hostels, administrative facilities or other campus works.
The chief minister also asked the university to adopt five villages and teach all residents of at least one village to speak Sanskrit each year. He described the initiative as a form of social responsibility for the institution. The proposal would extend the university’s role beyond its campus and into community-level education, though no implementation timeline was announced.
Sarma further drew a comparison between Panini’s Sanskrit grammar and concepts underlying machine learning in artificial intelligence. He called for traditional knowledge to be integrated with modern science and said combining past resources with present challenges and future possibilities could help the university achieve growth comparable to Nalanda and Takshashila.
The next steps will depend on how the Rs 50 crore allocation is released and translated into approved campus projects, departmental facilities and the proposed affiliation with Krishnakanta Handiqui Sanskrit College. The government has not announced a detailed works schedule or completion timeline.
