In the upcoming academic year 2024–25, students studying at Mumbai University (MU) will get to learn about Parsi-Zoroastrian culture. The MU is launching the Avestha Pahlavi Study Centre, which will focus on promoting and teaching students about this culture.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs and Mumbai University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to start this special centre at the university. At an event in New Delhi on February 29, Smriti Irani officially opened the Avesta-Pahlavi Language Centre at Mumbai University and the redesigned Jiyo Parsi Programme in the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.
Speaking at the event, the minister emphasised the significance of bringing languishing languages back to life, particularly those connected to informed minority populations. The Ministry of Minority Affairs, in partnership with Mumbai University, seeks to build the Centre and the necessary infrastructure for conducting diploma, certificate, and PhD programmes.
The University of Mumbai has taken the lead in studying and researching the old, rich, and wonderful Parsi-Zoroastrian culture, starting this academic year, since Mumbai is home to the majority of the nation's Parsis. The university will establish the Avesta Pahlavi Study Centre, which will be run by the School of Languages. The University of Mumbai and the Ministry of Minority Affairs in New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding on February 29.
The centre will emphasise the value of learning about and conducting research on related topics such as Zoroastrian texts, classical literature, the Parsi community, Zoroastrian spirituality, and culture. Since 1888, Avesta Pahlavi has studied at the University of Minnesota. With the addition of this study centre, the scope of this education will be expanded to include post-graduation, certificate, degree, and research opportunities.
At the centre, this new subject will be taught following the National Education Policy. Along with literature, historical context, scripts and writing systems, translation and philological analysis, semantics and dictionaries, and ancient Iranian history and civilization, the study centre will concentrate on Avesta Pahlavi's grammar and vocabulary studies.
The university plans to establish the centre with a broad vision to promote Indian culture, Parsi culture, and Indian traditions globally and promote international cooperation, stated Prof. Ravindra Kulkarni, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai.
He further added that this centre will study Avesta Pahlavi's rich heritage preservation and conservation, the Parsi community's contribution to national development, the documentation of linguistic features, and Avesta Pahlavi's contribution to Indian cultural diversity.
The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has provided financial support to Mumbai University. They have paid them INR 12 crore. The money will go towards opening a multimedia studio, a language lab, and other support facilities for the study centre.
Inscriptions and manuscripts, Avesta Pahlavi epigraphy and palaeography, translation and philological analysis, Avesta Pahlavi grammar and vocabulary, literature, historical background, scripts and writing systems, semantics and dictionaries, and ancient Iranian history and civilization will all be covered for the students to study.
For the first time, the university will now have a dedicated centre on campus to run different types of courses under the language section.
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