About the Department

On the auspicious occasion of Lord Mahaveer's 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava the Centre for Jain Studies was established in 1975 and a Chair founded for promoting research work in Jainism. The Centre has a missionary zeal to sponsor and promote research in Jain Studies and other aspects of Comparative Religions and Culture. With its longstanding and renowned status, the Centre is located in the Humanities Block, University of Rajasthan Campus, Jaipur. At the time of establishment of the Centre the University had taken a decision that Jainology be treated more as an area of research and the main purpose for establishing the chair should be to encourage the study of Jain religion and ethics in the related departments i.e. Sanskrit, Hindi, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Public Administration and History, already existing in the University, and conduct and direct research in the field of Jainology. In order to attract the diversified Jainological studies, the University also accommodated the study of source material, ideas, thoughts, literature and history of Jainism to be studied as special papers in the regular courses of the Department of the Sanskrit, Philosophy and History with the co-operation and guidance of the person occupying the chair in Jainology. In view of this decision the PG classes in Jain Studies are being taken with PG departments of History, Sanskrit and Philosophy of the University and the faculty of the Centre is associated with them ever since the establishment of the Centre. It is one of the premier institutions of international reputefor Jain Studies inIndia,engagedinresearchon various aspects of Jain Studies and Manuscriptology, committed for dissemination of knowledge on Prakrit, Apabharmsa language & Literature, Jain Philosophy & religion and Manuscriptology in a comparative, critical and historical perspective. The Centre awards every year variousFellowshipsandScholarships. About the Department It has so far organized more than 6 International, 10 regional and 30 National Seminars and held several extension Lecture-series, and published about 26 books on Jainology and Manuscriptology. It has its own Library and subscribes to a large number of Journals and Magazines, relevant to the Jain Studies and allied subjects.during the pandemic, an international webinar on “Anekantvad: The soul of Jain rd Metaphysics” was organized on 23 March 2021 which was attended by more than 150 scholars from different part of the world. Research work has been carried out in Centre and as many as 250 research scholars have been awarded D.Litt, Ph.D. and M. Phil Degrees in Jain Studies by this University.

Infrastructural Facilities

The Centre has an adequate computer laboratory with internet facility, a manuscript library for the use of research scholars as well as a Reference library for oriental studies and general studies.

Ph.D. Programme :

• Jain Studies