His is an ocean of expertise suitable for the GenNext civilization

15th August, 2008
AUROBINDO B'DAY: IGNOU Launches Programmes on HIM

New Delhi: One doesn't need to be an Aurobindonian to apply the knowledge what Sri Aurobindo preached in his life and letters. His is not just a philosophy of life, his is an ocean of expertise suitable for the GenNext civilization. This message was communicated today here to a tele-conferencing audience in the nation and centres of IGNOU world over by Dr Karan Singh, Former Union Foreign Minister and currently a Rajya Sabha member.

Dr Singh was addressing to celebrate both nation's 61st Independence Day and Sri Aurobindo's 136th Birth Anniversary, while launching academic programmes in vision and technologies applied to Aurobindo philosophy with IGNOU Vice Chancellor Professor VN Rajasekharan Pillai and Director of SACAR V Ananda Reddy. Dr Singh defined defined the occasion as "the day of introspection for all of us."The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has collaborated with SACAR and Inter-Disciplinary Studies, Puducherry for a slew of Certificate, two PG Diplomas, Bachelor, M.Phil and PhD programmes. IGNOU was yet to have included Philosophy in its curricula. This is the first time an opportunity for specialised philosophical pursuit has been made possible with a realistic vision.

According to Dr Karan Singh, himself a celebrated scholar of Aurobindo philosophy, "A shashtra, which does not have relevance to our day to day life, is best suited for research by a scholar, but that which is useful to our everyday life needs to be studied meticulously. You don't have to be an Aurobindonian to study Sri Arubindo's philosophy."
As Professor Pillai elaborated the concept behind the programmes, ""Launching of these programmes is a positive response to the need of dissemination of relevance of integrated philosophy and vision of Stri Aurobindo for the younger generations, who are seeking solution to complex day to day problems."
The new academic programme will promote indepth study and research into yogic vision. Study of all allied thoughts from trans-national thinkers and cultures is also planned to be taken up. In such areas as metaphysics, yoga, psychology, social and political thought, vision of spiritual poetry, literature and contemporary literary criticism will be in the core areas of pursuits through these programmes.

Though Sri Aurobindo philosophy and vision has already been institutionalized in form of SACAR, this MoU will ensure IGNOU certification besides, world-level disciplining in curricula. IGNOU Pro-VC Professor Lata Pillai rightly introduced the programme essentially in the domain of expertise and technical studies, despite the fact that it deals with philosophy as the core area.