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70t, aef &?, sich / 3789-677-7088
The facilities at PV, which were wearing down, have been significantly improved with a modern fully equipped class room, guest houses and hostels to accommodate up to 40 scholars and guests. Staff has been provided computers and internet facility to speed up their research and publishing work. Overall there is a far greater appreciation and involvement of the academic community in Varanasi in PV activities. Some of the academic activities which have been improved are: 1. The academic staff has been augmented by a Director (R),
Associate Professor and two young Research Associates.
More recruitment is on the way. 2. Upgrade śramaņa (quarterly journal of PV) to a truly
international research journal. 3. Conduct short term courses in Jainism. The first one for two
weeks was attended by 80 scholars / students from U.P.,
Uttarakhand and M.P. 4. Offering certificate programme in Prakrit and Apabhransh
languages. 27 and 25 students have been enrolled in this one year correspondence programme starting from January
2011 in Prakrit and Apabhransh, respectively. 5. PV.approved as Distance education centre for Jain Studies.
Jain Vishwa Bharti University, Ladnun has approved PV to admit, conduct classes and examinations on their behalf for
their BA and MA programme. 6. BHU renewed certification of PV as their external research
centre for Ph.D. work. Already one PV staff is pursuing a
Ph.D. programme at BHU. 7. Foreign scholars / students (so far over 100) have spent over
a week each at PV since 2008 for the Jain studies programme
of International School for Jain Studies. 8. Monthly academic Lala Harjas Rai Jain lecture series are
being conducted by inviting expert lecturers/scholars.