Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev is all set to start a world-class international university, with a promise to compete with the ivy-leagues in the USA. He expects to establish this university within the next five years and hopes to help in the education sector by educating nearly one lakh students every academic session in different streams. This university, he promises, will stand out from the others with the revival of the age old gurukul system of learning which has produced some of the finest scholars, politicians and other professionals. The proposed university aims to focus on health, business and education. The university will be established over 1500 acres of land which has already been acquired near New Delhi, thus setting the plans in motion. The project is expected to cost around 25,000 crore. Baba Ramdev plans to use 80% of his profits from his Patanjali line of products towards this project.
Baba Ramdev made this announcement in his address at “Yoga and Inner Peace”, an event held in Houston on 23rd August, 2016. Baba Ramdev said that the university that he planned to establish would be similar to the University of Houston and would have a standard of education at par with the ivy leagues. In fact, Baba Ramdev aims to run this university in the lines of two of the most ancient higher learning institutions, Nalanda and Takshashila. Students from all over the world will have the option of studying in this university.
With the revival of the gurukul system of teaching in mind, Baba Ramdev has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ministry of Human Resources Development to start a Vedic education board at State and national level.
Baba Ramdev – Will He Deliver Again This Time ?
Baba Ramdev, the flag-bearer of Indian Spiritualism, both ethereal and material, has proven in the past that he can deliver what has been promised. Be it his 30-minute remedy through wellness yoga for all kinds of lifestyle ailments or his forage into the world of FMCG with his Pathanjali Line of products, Baba Ramdev has indeed tasted only success till now. His corporate venture has seen a growth of over 100% in the previous year. His foray into the FMCG sector saw an upheaval created with companies like Dabur, Nestle and Hindustan Unilever recording a dip in their sales. Baba Ramdev gave a metaphysical twist to the swadeshi doctrine and set up new norms in the FMCG sector, reiterating the importance of buying desi, and thus winning over many consumers to see his profits burgeoning to 5000 crore at the last count.
Baba Ramdev is again making use of the Sawdeshi doctrine with the promise of the introduction of the gurukul system in the proposed university. The Indian sub-continent with its rich cultural heritage has always attracted foreigners from far and wide. It goes without saying that a university under the purview of the gurukul system where the students reside with the guru or teacher and gain knowledge will surely attract many students from far and wide. In a lighter vein, a free session of yoga everyday will also act as a catalyst surely!!
“The university would cater education to one lakh students in different streams. The standard of education would be such that students of Harvard and Cambridge would be tempted to study here,” Ramdev said.
While established age old universities like the Delhi University and the Christ University have nothing to fear, the more current ones such as the Amity University in New Delhi will surely face a stiff competition when the proposed university of Baba Ramdev comes in to being. Even with the most modern amenities, these new universities will have to compete with the Brand name of Baba Ramdev as also the swadeshi twist to the entire project. As per recent study, an estimated 3 lakh students opt to study abroad because of lack of choice of courses. This new international university may just as well see a drop in these numbers as well as see many foreign students opting to study in India.
Conclusion
A university is a collage of colleges of different disciplines. It is a sum total of infrastructure, quality of instructors, quality and quantity of grants for original academic work, quality of intake of students and last but not the least, placement and performance of the alumni. Baba Ramdev’s International University, once established, does have a long way to go. However, there is promise in the project and we are all waiting with bated breath to see it succeed.
