Smriti Irani's appeal works; 5 univs to set up Swami Vivekanand chair

The University Grants Commission has chosen five universities to set up a chair in the name of Swami Vivekananda for conducting research on his life, teachings and philosophy.

Union HRD minister Smriti Irani had appealed to vice chancellors of all universities on September 13 (the day Vivekananda delivered a speech at the World's Parliament of Religions in 1893) to come forward and set up a chair in his name.

The chosen universities are Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai), Central University of Jammu and Kashmir, Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrit University (Kerala), Ramkrishna Mission University (West Bengal) and Pt Ravishankar Shukla University (Chhattisgarh), says a UGC circular.

The UGC had invited proposals from the varsities while also announcing grants for the same. It has received 52 proposals — 36 from state universities, 11 from central universities and five from deemed universities — for the establishment of the Swami Vivekananda Chair.

Vivekananda's chair was initially announced in the 12th plan. It's materialising only now.