Experts on ancient religions may make it to ICHR panel

Pandey is currently head of the School of Studies in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology in Ujjain’s Vikram University and has been a Postdoctoral Fellow at the ICHR.

She has penned several books including Bhakti — Doctrines, Art & Culture (as in Vaishnav Puranas) and Bhartiya Sanskriti. Some of her important research papers comprise Shaivism in the Puranas, Historiography of Religion and the Verity of Religious
Experience, History, Philosophy & Culture, Religious Movements in the Mahabharata and Tradition and Modernity in Art.

Vikram University’s ancient history department is likely to find another representation on the council. Rahman Ali, former head of the university’s department of Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, has written on different aspects of art, architecture and archaeology. He has also written excavation reports of Sodanga and Mahidpur in Madhya Pradesh and has authored Temples of Madhya Pradesh.

Baidyanath Labh, Head of the Department of Buddhist Studies at University of Jammu, specialises in Pali and early Buddhism, Buddhist psychology and contemporary Buddhism.
He has authored Panna in Early Buddhism: A Philosophical Analysis with Special Reference to the Visuddhimagga.

Sugam Anand, Head of the Department of History and Culture in Agra’s Dr B R Ambedkar University, has worked in the areas of medieval and modern history, histography and women’s studies. He has also penned Women in Modern Indian History, Modern Indian Historiography from Pillai to Azad and History of Begum Nurjahan.

Shyam Bihari Lal of the Department of Ancient History at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, is another likely member of the new ICHR council.

Other names are still under consideration. The ministry is expected to put its stamp of approval on them this week.

About ICHR
It is an autonomous organisation established in 1972 under the HRD Ministry. It has a 27-member council with a three-year term, and every member is eligible for two consecutive terms. Currently, eight members have completed only one term.