Nehru Studies Centre
University of Rajasthan Jaipur

Dr. Rajesh Kumar Sharma
Director
Mobile: +91-9414310889
Email: rksharma038@gmail.com

BRIEF HISTORY

The Centre for Nehru Studies was set up by the UGC under XI plan scheme of Epoch Making Social Thinkers of India in the year 2006. The objective of the UGC scheme is to acquaint the teachers and students with the thinking and contribution of great leaders and thinkers whose revolutionary and path breaking thought and actions have transcended the boundaries of time and nations. Buddha, Gandhi, Ambedkar and Nehru form a galaxy of those epochal leaders who have left an indelible imprint on popular consciousness not only in India but the world as a whole. About Nehru, the Canadian diplomat Escott Reid wrote in 1957, There is no one since Napoleon who has played both so large a role in the history of his country and has also held the sort of place which Nehru holds in the hearts and minds of his countrymen. For the people of India, he is George Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Eisenhower rolled into one. Although there has been no dearth of biographical interpretations of the life and career of Jawaharlal Nehru's yet his impact on India is too great not to be re-examined periodically. The Centre seeks to disseminate and examine the ideas and ideals of Nehru through seminars, workshops, short term courses and research.

In pursuance of its stated objectives the Centre has organized numerous activities to promote and enrich historical and critical perspectives on Nehru.

OBJECTIVES AND PROPOSED ACTIVITIES:

1:-EVOLVE THE CENTRE AS AN ACADEMIC CENTRE FOR LEARNING, CRITIQUING AND RESEARCHING NEHRU'S ROLE, PHILOSOPHY AND CONTRIBUTION.

• A significant area of research on Nehru as a thinker was his concern for human rights, i.e., inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. As an individualist and a humanist, Nehru was deeply concerned with human suffering, misery, poverty together with his concern for justice and the creation of a secular, humane state in India. His notion of freedom was inclusive and comprehensive - not just freedom from British rule but social and economic freedom for the masses. He was able to push Congress towards an economic programme- socialist in nature and strengthened links with the underprivileged. Nehru was one of the few leaders, who even during the eventful and demanding days of the agitation against British imperialism consistently articulated his concern for the impoverished, persecuted and deprived social groups- women, labour, farmers and other marginalized groups. One little recognized aspect of Nehru's worldview and policy was the struggle to establish global human rights norms through the United Nations which Nehru saw as a pathway towards his ultimate objective of “One World's, an undefined kind of global government. Nehru was an internationalist who saw human rights as a global value that required international scrutiny and intervention. The centre for Nehru Studies would adopt Nehru's concern for human rights as a critical area of research and other academic deliberations.

• Organization of seminars and workshops

• Organization of lecture-series in different colleges of Jaipur and departments of the university.

2:- RESEARCH

• The Centre would also promote research on Nehru. The Centre seeks to provide grants to researchers and faculty members to facilitate research on Nehru and the contemporary relevance of his thought.
• Some key areas of research would be

-Nehru's concern for human rights -A reassessment of Nehru's economic vision, particularly in the context of growing economic disparities in India
-Re-examination of Nehru's role a maker of modern India, especially his role in sustaining and enshrining democratic values and practices.
-Nehru and Constitution Making
-Nehru's Views on Education
-Nehru and Parliamentary Democracy
-Nehru's commitment to Secularism
-Nehru and Indian Foreign Policy, Panchsheel and Peaceful Co-existence
-Nehru's concept of Scientific Temper

3:-DISSEMINATION OF NEHRU'S IDEOLOGY AND CONTRIBUTION AMONGST THE YOUNGER GENERATION:

One of the major objectives of the Centre for Nehru Studies, University of Rajasthan would be to create amongst youth an abiding awareness and adherence to progressive, rational and relevant Nehruvain concepts like socialistic reconstruction of Indian society, secularism, gender equality and democratic values. The younger generation also needs to be made aware about the remarkable contribution of Nehru towards nation-building, especially India's transition from a feudal polity into a modern democratic polity.

• Organization of student based activities like skit, debate and poster competition on themes related to Nehru and his ideology in the Universities, colleges and schools.
• Undertake collaborative activities with Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sanghthan that seeks to develop values in rural youth so that they become responsible and productive citizens of modern, technological and secular nation.

• Screening of films and holding photo exhibitions and lectures on Nehru, his life and ideology in schools and colleges.

4:-BUILD THE CENTRE AS A RESOURCE AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRE OF READING MATERIAL RELATED TO NEHRU STUDIES

The Centre would play an important role as a veritable centre of study material on Nehru and related themes for researcher scholars and faculty members.

• Compilation of news items and articles on Nehru from newspapers, magazines and journals. These could be further classified under various themes related to Nehru's life, ideology and contribution.

• Collection and compilation of photographs related to significant events of Nehru's life.

• The Centre would further equip the Library with publications- both old and recent-on Nehru and other related themes.

• The Centre would also bring out a journal with refereed or peer reviewed material/articles.
• Subscription to journals History and Sociology of South Asia, Sage

Indian Historical Review, Sage

Indica, Heras Institute, Mumbai

• Documentation of the proceedings of numerous workshops, Conferences, Symposia and seminars organized by the Centre.

• The Centre would also bring out publications on Nehru and related themes.

5:- COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES WITH OTHER CENTRES AND DEPARTMENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY

To facilitate a comprehensive and comparative understanding of Nehru's role, vision and ideology, there is tremendous scope for collaborative activities with other specialized Centres of the University. These activities would include joint research projects, short courses, organization of student based activities and seminars and workshops. The Centre for Nehru Studies would work in collaboration with the following Research Centres of the University.

• Centre for Ambedkar Studies
• Centre for Gandhian Studies
• Centre for Buddhist Studies
• South Asia Studies Centre
• Centre for Women's Studies

6:-COURSES