ICHR plans scheme to revive ‘gurukul’ system, meeting today

Under the draft ICHR scheme, the historian, in exchange for the research assistant’s help, will train the understudy in his area of expertise.

The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is set to take up a proposal aimed at “reviving the gurukul tradition” by providing research assistants to historians working on ancient Indian history, sources said.

The ICHR will hold its council meeting on Tuesday. According to the agenda note accessed by The Indian Express, the council will “consider” a new scheme in which historians working on areas such as ancient Indian science and technology, ancient Indian art and architecture, epigraphy and numismatics will be requested to recruit a post-doctoral scholar, with research experience in the above areas, as an assistant for two years.

Like the gurukul tradition in which the guru and shishya (student) live together as equals and the latter gains knowledge from this experience, under the draft ICHR scheme, the historian, in exchange of the research assistant’s help, will train the understudy in his area of expertise.

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The proposal justifies the scheme on the ground that the “current conventional system is not efficiently providing necessary guidance and training to young scholars” of ancient history. “Very reputed and known scholars who are in their vintage are also deprived of research assistance to further develop these specialities,” the agenda note adds.

The council has proposed to provide remuneration to both the research assistant and the historian. It will pay Rs 28,000 per month to the former and set aside a contingency grant of Rs 60,000 a year for two years for the guru.

ICHR Chairman YS Rao, who will chair Tuesday’s meeting, did not respond to questions sent by this newspaper. A final decision on this proposal will be taken at the meeting.

Ritika Chopra

Ritika Chopra, an award-winning journalist with over 17 years of experience, serves as the Chief of the National Bureau (Govt) and National Education Editor at The Indian Express in New Delhi. In her current role, she oversees the newspaper's coverage of government policies and education. Ritika closely tracks the Union Government, focusing on the politically sensitive Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry, and has authored investigative stories that have prompted government responses. Ritika joined The Indian Express in 2015. Previously, she was part of the political bureau at The Economic Times, India’s largest financial daily. Her journalism career began in Kolkata, her birthplace, with the Hindustan Times in 2006 as an intern, before moving to Delhi in 2007. Since then, she has been reporting from the capital on politics, education, social sectors, and the Election Commission of India. ... Read More

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