Every Indian is undoubtedly proud of the rich cultural and educational heritage our country has to offer. Being a land of one of the oldest universities in the world, education has indeed been a vital part of the whole ecosystem of our country. Furthermore, with the dawn of the 21st-century, students have involved themselves in a rigorous race in various fields of engineering, medicine, liberal arts and so on, trying to cope up with the dynamic world. Subsequently to meet the education/learning standards compared to what their peers are getting, the next and perhaps the most important step in the life of a student is to choose an educational institution/university, which caters to the needs of the 21st-century student and makes them get well prepared for the competitive world outside. Various factors like specializations, curriculum, and affiliations of the university, campus rating, placement and internship opportunities, research opportunities are of prime importance while choosing the right university for one’s educational endeavors. Well in the pursuit of easing the whole process, guaranteeing for a campus where inclusivity is felt across all the corners of the campus, yet boosting educational/professional careers of individuals – Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth (CVV), comes as a bright light of hope, even during these gloomy times of the pandemic.
With the prime vision of infusing Indian Knowledge Systems into research and teaching of Contemporary Knowledge Systems in a seamless way, CVV boosts technically competent individuals, who are able professionals, with role solving capabilities needed today. Founded by Chinmaya Mission, whose name has been known for cultural and curricular education since 1951, acknowledged leaders head the institution, working relentlessly to bring a positive impact on the community, and society at large.
Hosting a wide array of programs from Commerce, Psychology and Education to Public Policy and Law, CVV also is home to traditional courses such as B. A. in Sanskrit, the performing arts and so on. Discerning the Indian way of thinking and analysing the world, self-confidence is boosted in every individual at CVV, in turn, imbibing students with quality education and thorough ethical values.
A world of opportunities
Staying well in sync with the industry trends and demands, CVV preaches a curriculum which consists of courses that nurture both the intellect and the heart of the students. While focusing on courses which prepare every individual on campus, irrespective of the stream or course, students are given opportunities to excel as all-rounded individuals. Also, giving them platforms to prepare for competitive exams such as IAS, CA and many more, competitiveness plays a major role at CVV, regularly building and revising the course outlines and curriculum.
Due to the well-established brand-value and recognition the Chinmaya Mission has in terms of relentless quality education, CVV boasts of an impressive industry-academia connect. Involving both the onboard faculty members and renowned industry professionals, the critical feedback from the industry helps the University keep pace with the rapidly changing corporate/industry scenario, catering to the right mindsets inculcating the right amount of employability and entrepreneurial skills in them. The industry connects also help everyone present on the campus gain industry experience with the help of internships, seminars and expert talks, helping both students and faculty members to grow as professionals and stay well connected with the market/industry.
The undergraduates on the campus of CVV are actively encouraged to pursue research projects for credit. “Engaging in research is known to bring students out of the rote learning mentality towards critical thinking mindset”, quoted – Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal, the Vice-Chancellor of CVV, talking to us about how important the whole research and innovation aspect of learning is and how CVV progresses each day towards creating innovative geniuses of tomorrow. During a brief conversation opportunity, we got to interview Prof. Neerchal, we posed as budding educational aspirants and tried our best to address all the necessary questions and aspects, which a 21st-century student would ask. Quite calm and easy in his responses, Prof. Neerchal addressed all the questions and gave us a thorough inside view about how a critical thinking mindset is the primary goal of every course/program hosted at CVV, and how tradition and education go hand in hand at CVV.
All the undergraduate and postgraduate students take foundational courses in Indian Knowledge Systems, one in each semester. The objective is for our graduates to be familiar with India’s rich heritage and tradition of research and innovation. At the PG level, CVV offers M.Sc. Applied Psychology, M.A. in Public Policy and Governance (M.A. PPG), and Masters in Law (LL.M.) programme. In line with the university’s vision, these programme curricula include a strong component of IKS including courses in Artha-Shastra, Neeti-Shastra and Dharma-Shastra. All the programmes hosted at CVV are based on the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) model that cater to varied interests and requirements of the students, which provide academic flexibility and enhance academic acumen, employability and entrepreneurial skills.
Investing in knowledge
“We are very proud of our whole educational setup, and how we have rebounded in the face of a great challenge thrown at us by the COVID-19 pandemic”, stated Prof. Neerchal, telling us their story of how they handled the pandemic and the lockdown scenario, and how effective they were at shifting the whole campus online. He added to his above statement, by saying – “Within a week or so of the announcement of the lockdown, our faculty went online with their lesson plans appropriately modified”. All thanks to the enormous support from the whole management and the staff, CVV continued on its path to unperturbed education adapting to the new way of life, effectively utilizing technology in both research and teaching.
Lastly, being a complete hub of holistic development, CVV doesn’t want to leave any stones unturned in terms of recreation and personality development. Motivating students to be thorough all-rounders, exciting events are hosted by the management all-round the year emphasizing the values of teamwork and sportsmanship while providing high wire excitement for the entire campus. An annual inter-collegiate fest named Jabagadadash is hosted every year, where students from across various colleges and universities visit CVV and witness the true form of culture and tradition in all its glory, thus, becoming a royal hub of art, culture, learning and education, in turn, preaching the four main principles of CVV – Spirituality, Purity, Practicality and Innovation.
Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal, Vice-Chancellor
Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal from the University of Maryland, Baltimore Country (UMBC), USA assumed office as Vice-Chancellor of Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth on 4 August 2019. Prof. Neerchal obtained his B.S. (1981) and M.S. (1982) in Statistics from the Indian Statistical Institute. With a PhD in Statistics (1986) from the Iowa State University, USA, Prof. Neerchal’s research and publications encompass theory and applications of statistics in a broad range of disciplines including transportation, environment and ecology, pharmacology and high-performance computing.
Prof. Neerchal, in his academic career, has served in different roles in academic committees, professional bodies and state and federal government committees. He has guided several PhD and master’s students and has many publications to his credit including three books. He has won numerous awards including the University of Maryland Board of Regents Award for Innovation and Excellence, the Kauffman Entrepreneurship Fellowship and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Statistical Association.
