Prof. Ramesh Kumar Pandey served as the founder Vice-Chancellor of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University (Central University), New Delhi, which was converted from the status of deemed to be university to a central university under provision of Central Sanskrit University Act-2020 w.e.f. 30th April 2020 by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. He also served as the Vice Chancellor of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (Deemed University) from 9th April, 2015 to29th Aapril, 2020 before its conversion into a Central University. During this period, He was assigned the additional charge of the Director, Central Hindi Directorate under Ministry of Education, New Delhi w.e.f. 9th April 2020 to 29th Sept., 2021. He also acted as the member & Chairman of various high level committees constituted by UGC, State Govt., Central Govt., Universities, and various prestigious Institutions of the country.
He has been known for his significant contribution in the field of Sanskrit education and Research for more than three decades and for his strong commitment towards promotion of Sanskrit language literature and culture. He has visited various countries viz. Italy, Mongolia, Japan, USA, West Indies, Thailand, Germany, France, Korea and China for the propagation of Sanskrit language.
Visionary Leadership: Due to his commitment and dedication towards the promotion and propagation of Sanskrit and to provide a platform to the national and international researchers, he worked hard in getting converted all the three Government deemed Sanskrit Universities to Central Universities from the Ministry of Education, Government of India. In addition to this, he prepared a future plan of the University to expand its Academic and Research activities, submitted the same to the Ministry of Education after the approval of Executive Council for the enhancement of Academic excellence of this University and its reputation as a premier institution of Sanskrit studies in the world. He was instrumental in shaping the long-term goals and strategic planning of the university. The university achieved significant milestone in terms of NAAC accreditation and assessment with ‘A’ grade under his visionary leadership.
Focus on Strengthening Academic Programs: He always focused on enhancing the quality and relevance of academic programs of the university. He encouraged the introduction of innovative short and long term courses and interdisciplinary research catering to the contemporary needs while preserving the traditional essence of Sanskrit education. During his term as the Vice Chancellor, he introduced three PG programmes in newly established departments of the university viz. Yoga (2018) Hindi and Hindu Studies (2021).
Research and Publications: He significantly contributed in the field of Research and Publication pertaining to the advancement of Sanskrit studies. He has successfully supervised 13 doctorate level researches. Besides this, he has published 46 books and 31 Research Articles at National and 03 in International Level Journals in the field of Sanskrit studies. He has participated, presented research papers and acted as Resource Person in various International & National level conferences, workshops and seminars. He has successfully completed 640 Modules of PG (Sanskrit) under e-PG Pathashala Project of MHRD sponsored by the UGC, 2017 as the Principal Investigator.
Initiatives for Faculty Development: He recognized the importance of faculty development and took initiatives to enhance the skills and expertise of the teaching staff. Under his able guidance Teacher Learning Centre (TLC) under the scheme of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers & Teaching (PMMMNMTT), MHRD, GOI was established at Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University in the year 2017. The vision of the Centre is to develop skills and competencies of teachers and teacher educators associated with language education especially Sanskrit for designing, developing, implementing and evaluating teaching-learning systems. The Centre has organized various programmes in the form of workshops, seminars, training programs, conferences & faculty induction programmes and benefitted more than 2000 participants.
Promotion of Student-Centric Approach: He encouraged student-centric approach for ensuring students’ access to available necessary resources and support services. He worked for the welfare and academic progress of the students so that they can excel in their academic pursuits.
Encouraged Community Engagement: He actively engaged with the local community and various stakeholders to promote Sanskrit language and culture beyond the university campus. He encouraged outreach programs and cultural events to create awareness and appreciation in the community for the promotion of Sanskrit language and heritage.
Achievements and Awards: He has been awarded with more than 10 National Awards in the field of Sanskrit by various prestigious Institutions, Societies and Academies of the country.
Overall, Prof. Ramesh Kumar Pandey's tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of SLBSNSU was characterized by a relentless pursuit of academic excellence and a steadfast commitment to preserving and promoting the rich legacy of Sanskrit. His contributions have left a lasting impact on the university and continue to inspire the academic community in the pursuit of knowledge and cultural heritage.
