Sanskrit: A carrier of India’s knowledge intellectual tradition: Governor

my uttarakhand news Bureau 
HARIDWAR, 26 Sept:  Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) participated as the Chief Guest in the 12th Convocation Ceremony of Uttarakhand Sanskrit University in Haridwar on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering in Sanskrit, he stated that it is not enough to preserve Sanskrit merely as a heritage of the past; it must be connected with the possibilities of the future. There is immense scope for research in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, digital technology, linguistics and machine learning, based on Sanskrit’s scientific structure and rich literary heritage. He said that Sanskrit needs to be taken out of library shelves and brought into the digital world, research laboratories and global knowledge discourse.
Sanskrit is not merely an ancient language but a major carrier of India’s knowledge consciousness, intellectual tradition and cultural memory. A significant part of India’s rich knowledge tradition—including the Vedas, Upanishads, philosophy, grammar, Ayurveda and Yoga—is preserved in Sanskrit. Sanskrit provides not only words but also a perspective on life, discernment, a sense of duty and a spirit of human welfare.
He further said that, besides teaching, students of Sanskrit have opportunities for employment and professional engagement in several fields, including translation, research, Indian philosophy, culture, publishing, digital media and language technology. Therefore, it is essential to connect Sanskrit with employment, research, technology and innovation.
He called upon the graduating students to take five commitments: to continuously enhance their knowledge, imbibe values in their lives, serve society, embrace innovation, and keep the nation above all else.
On the occasion, he conferred degrees and medals upon the students. The Governor also conferred honorary degrees upon Padma Shri folk singer Madhuri Barathwal, Dr Anusuya Prasad Pant, Prof Ram Kumar Sharma, and former Vice-Chancellor of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, New Delhi, Prof Ramesh Kumar Pandey.
Congratulating all the students who received degrees and medals, the Governor said that a convocation is not merely an occasion marking the completion of education; it is also the beginning of a new journey in life and a new set of responsibilities towards society and the nation. Students possess the strength of knowledge, values and youthful energy. It is their responsibility to connect these three with the needs of society and give them a meaningful direction.
Lt Gen Singh also released several publications of the university. He expressed his special gratitude to Padma Shri Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra for donating around 10,000 rare books and journals to the university. He said that preserving these rare texts as the ‘Abhiraj Pustak-Vithi’ would prove to be an important repository of knowledge for future generations.
Cabinet Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, Vice-Chancellor of Pragjyotishpur University, Guwahati, Raghavendra Prasad Tiwari, former Vice-Chancellor of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, New Delhi, Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Secretary, Sanskrit Education, Deepak Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Ramakant Pandey, along with members of the Executive Council and Academic Council, faculty members and students were present at the convocation ceremony.