Meerut University adds Mahabharata and Ramayana to journalism course: Report

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Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU), commonly known as Meerut University, has rolled out a new course titled ‘Bhartiya Sanchar ke Praroop’ (Models of Indian Communication) as part of its MA in Journalism and Mass Communication (MA-JMC) programme. The course aims to expose students to indigenous communication traditions drawn from ancient Indian epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, university officials announced on Saturday, according to a report by Krishna Chaudhary.

Professor Prashant Kumar, who heads the Tilak School of Journalism and Mass Communication (TSJMC) at CCSU, explained that the new addition is intended to “fuse India’s ancient intellectual heritage with contemporary journalism education.”

Citing a unique example from the Mahabharata, he said, “Sanjay’s narration of the Kurukshetra war to the blind king Dhritarashtra through divya drishti (divine vision)” serves as a “classical example of live reporting.” He also highlighted the communication role of Hanuman in the Ramayana, saying, “Hanuman served as a vital communication link between Lord Rama and Goddess Sita during her captivity.”

Reflecting on the academic orientation so far, Kumar said, “We have been learning Western methods so far despite the wealth of research and work in our own country.” He added, “Going forward, we will focus on our own traditions as no one understands our culture better than we do.”

Drawing parallels with global education practices, he noted, “Just as the Bhagavad Gita is taught in several countries for management education, ancient Indian communication practices, some of which are thousands of years old, remain relevant today and will continue to be so in the future.”