Jaipur: Rajasthan University vice-chancellor Bhagwati Prasad Saraswat has announced plans to open a separate department for Rajasthani language, with a postgraduate course likely to be introduced from the next academic session, subject to the required approvals.Saraswat has announced the move as a major step towards giving Rajasthani a dedicated place in higher education. The university will first have the course designed by its Board of Studies, after which it will be placed before the Academic Council and the Syndicate for approval. “If everything goes as planned, PG course will be introduced from next academic session,” Saraswat said.The announcement comes after a long-standing demand for a dedicated department for Rajasthani at the university. A few months back, students had held protests and hunger strikes over the issue, seeking recognition for the language in higher education.Student leader Shubham Rewar had been among those raising the demand. His agitation included a 14-day hunger strike outside the university’s main gate. As his health deteriorated, police took him from the protest site and he was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Sawai Man Singh Hospital. The agitation had brought renewed attention to the demand for a separate department.The Rajasthan University Teachers Association (RUTA) welcomed the announcement. RUTA president Naveen Sharma thanked the vice-chancellor, saying the decision had been taken without any fresh protest or demand from students and teachers.Sharma described the move as an important step towards promoting Rajasthani, adding that it reflected academic foresight and respect for the mother tongue. He said the decision would prove to be a milestone in the development and wider promotion of the language.The proposed department will provide a dedicated academic space for Rajasthani.
