About the Seminar
The word `Sanskrit' indicates “prepared, pure, developed or refined knowledge”. Sanskrit has an
outstanding place in our culture and truly was recognized as a language of rare sublimity by the
whole world. Sanskrit is the language of our thinkers, scientists, mathematicians, poets and
playwrights, grammarians, jurists, and many others. Works of Panini and Patanjali have no equals
in the world. Aryabhatta, Brahmagupta and Bhaskara, Charaka, and Sushruta have opened up
new frontiers for mankind. Sanskrit scholars have presented the widest range of philosophical
systems the world has ever seen, from deeply religious to strongly atheistic. Countless Sanskrit
works kept the light of learning alight in our country up to modern times.
There is a great misconception about Sanskrit that it is only a language to be recited as mantras in
temples or in religious ceremonies or Sanskrit is a dead language. It is a groundless fallacy only
and in particular, Sanskrit was the language in which all our great scientists in ancient India wrote
and worked on.
Sanskrit is not just a language; it is the study of Indian history and culture. A large part of India’s
past is only available in inscriptions in Sanskrit. Knowing Sanskrit is considered as important step
to open the window of the ancient treasure of wisdom that is kept in the form of Vedas, Puranas,
Smrities, and thousands of other forms of literature. Sanskrit has stirred the world with the slogan
“the whole earth is like a family and knowledge gives courtesy, humanity.”
Sanskrit is an old, but very practical, language for modern times and is able to solve the problems
of human society. Though some critics name it as a dead language but it is still a vibrant, alive,
and practical language, which is used in the domain of modern knowledge. Thousands of students
in different universities and colleges and more than thousand research scholars are shouldering
the responsiblity for keeping alive the language throughout the country. It influenced many Asian
languages comparable to the influence Latin and Greek had on European languages.
In the age of ICT and computers, much time, effort, and money has been expended on designing
an unambiguous representation of natural languages to make them accessible to computer
processing. These efforts have centered on creating diagrams designed to parallel logical relations
with relations expressed by the syntax and semantics of natural languages. Scholars found
Sanskrit in its function as most suitable natural language for the transmission of logical data. In
the opinion of experts, Sanskrit, which for the duration of almost 1,000 years was a living spoken
language with a considerable literature of its own, is one of the perfect languages for ICT driven
knowledge society. Besides works of literary value, there was a long philosophical and
grammatical tradition that has continued to exist with undiminished vigor until the present
century.
We are living in the era of information and communication technology (ICT) that provides vision
of a global knowledge society, which includes the democratization of knowledge and its access.
New initiatives and networks across traditional borders and beyond the classic and old age
disciplines of knowledge demonstrate the potential and approaches towards sharing of knowledge
and experience with modern technological innovations. Professionals communicate over the
Internet, farmers from different corners of the world exchange emails on their achievements and
local radio emissions translate scientific Internet information into local and practical language.
The promotion of such emerging structures of a global society is at the wake of a global
knowledge society, where knowledge contributes to advancement of every citizen.
In the era of ICT and knowledge society it is great responsibility upon us to examine and
establish the prudence, and appropriateness of Sanskrit as a practical and comprehensive
plateform for new knowledge and new society. The proposed seminar will be a meaningful
contribution to establish the worth of Sanskrit in providing the world required cultural moorings,
and perfection in the convention of learning and imparting knowledge. The seminar will try to
bring attention of the Sanskrit scholars, scholars from media studies, and other social sciences to
familiarize with modern methods and techniques with the value and worth of our glorious
heritage.
Sub-themes of the seminar
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Sanskrit and modern knowledge society
New Media and Sanskrit: aptness and viability
ICT and oriental knowledge streams
Preservation and modernization of Sanskrit and the ICT
ICT for Sanskrit, Sanskrit for ICT
Digitization, e-learning and Sanskrit
CALL FOR PAPERS:
Interested participants are requested to send their abstract within 250 words to
[email protected] by February 18, 2016. Acceptance of abstracts will be
communicated to the participants by February 21, 2016. Full papers are to be submitted by March
01, 2016. Full papers with abstracts should be mailed as a single MS word attachment, font size
12 in Times New Roman (for English) and in Unicode font (for Sanskrit/ Hindi/ Bengali) with
1.5 line spacing. Participants are requested to adhere strictly to the guidelines provided in the
MLA handbook (latest edition). Selected papers will be published in the form of a Book with
ISBN.
On both the seminar days, lunch, refreshment and high tea will be provided to the participants.
The Seminar Organizing Committee will provide accommodation to the outstation participants.
In case of seminar presentation made by joint authors, each of them should get registered
separately.
Language of the papers:
Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali & English
Registration feeFor Academicians: 700.00
For Research Scholars: 500.00
Important Dates:
Seminar dates: 11 & 12 March, 2016
Last date for abstract submission: 18 February, 2016
Acceptance of selected papers: 21 February, 2016
Last date for full paper submission: 01 March, 2016
Outstation participants requiring accommodation are requested to inform on or before 3rd of
March, 2016.
About the university:
Assam University, Silchar, is a Central University established by an Act of the Indian Parliament
(Act XXIII of 1989), and came into existence in 1994. Situated in the Barak Valley of southern
Assam, the University is nestled in a sprawling 600-acre campus at Dargakona, about 23 km from
Silchar town. In 2007, Assam University opened a satellite campus at Diphu in the Karbi
Anglong Hills District of Assam, thereby making quality higher education accessible to a wider
section of society. Apart from the two campuses of the University, there are 60 affiliated and
permitted colleges in the five districts of south Assam, which together constitute the jurisdiction
of Assam University. Drawing its 300 plus faculty from many disciplines, from all over the
country, the university sustains a multidisciplinary approach to higher education.
The University has Sixteen Schools on major disciplines. There are Thirty Five
Departments under these Sixteen Schools.
How to reach:
Assam University, Silchar is well connected with other parts of the country by rail, road and
airways. University is located at Dargakona, about 23 km from Silchar town. Nearest airport is
Kumbhirgram around 45 Km from the university and nearest railway station is Silchar, around 25
Km from the campus.
Coordinators
Mr. Govind Sharma, Assistant Professor, Department of Sanskrit, Assam University, Silchar
Dr. Raghavendra Mishra, Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Communication, Assam
University, Silchar
Note: For further enquiries please contact on 09435178718 or 9401002272 or email us @
[email protected]