The Higher Education Review

Only two basic mechanisms of Jain Philosophy ­Anekanta and Ahimsa are enough to imbibe self-restraint and self-discipline in a man's life. While Anekanta upholds the ultimate truth of life which is complex and has many facets, Ahimsa spreads nonviolence, peace, and tolerance, forming the fundamentals of achieving serenity in life. Education on these philosophies is important, however, it is a challenging task to educate students in India on such essential aspects of life which are the building blocks of a good character, before becoming a successful person. Back in the year 1991, under the inspiring beliefs of Jain spiritual leader, Gurudev Tulsi, Jain Vishva Bharati Institute (JVBI) took this challenge of educating the Indian students on regular academics along with the life-sustaining philosophies.

Journey of JVBI
Located in Ladnun in the Nagaur District of Rajasthan, JVBI is an educational institute that was started with just four core departments that include Department of Jainology and Comparative Religion & Philosophy, Department of Prakrit and Sanskrit, Department of Yoga and Science of Living, and Department of Nonviolence and Peace. Today, the institute has extended its curriculum by establishing the Department of Social Work, Department of Education, and the Department of English. At present, there are seven postgraduate departments and the institute also runs a constituent college, Acharya Kalu Kanya Mahavidyalaya, specifically for women. Through this college, the Institute is providing education of under

graduate courses in Arts, Commerce, and Science. JVBI has also crafted D.Lit and Ph.D. programs in all PG Departments and it provides coaching for NET, SLET, and other competitive examinations. It has two units of National Service Scheme (NSS) and an NCC wing under 3 Raj Girls Battalion for the holistic development of the students.

A typical day of students, teaching faculty and non-teaching staff start with prayer and meditation, where values like peace and nonviolence predominate in each and every aspect of teaching-learning process and for the development of the overall personality of the students. Students are given an atmosphere where they can manifest their thought in a classical way without any hindrance.

"Jain Vishva Bharati Institute believes in professionalism coupled with ethical and moral commitment leading to the development of a holistic personality"

The students balance lecture-based instruction with experiential learning through an effective system of learner involvement. Describing the responsibility of the teaching faculty, Prof. B.R. Dugar, the current Vice-Chancellor of JVBI, says, "We as a university believe in professionalism coupled with ethical and moral commitment leading to the development of a holistic personality. This makes us not only a different education institution but also places great responsibilities on us to maintain the highest standards of academic and moral excellence."

Like its teaching-learning process which is engaging and growth-oriented, JVBI campus is also charming. It is full of greenery with parks, peacocks and gardens, like an oasis in the middle of the desert, creating a spiritual ambiance to provide a peaceful atmosphere of the traditional `Gurukul' system which is ideal for studies and research. The Institute has a rich central library having over 70,000 books and more than 6000 rare manuscripts. People from all over

the world who are interested in Jain Philosophies are frequent visitors of this Institute to complete their researches in various topics pertaining to Jainism.

Industrial Collaborations, Achievement, and Future Path
It is a desire of many students to learn outside the classroom which JVBI supports strongly. Over the years, JVBI has signed various MoUs with national and international repute institutes and leading industrial names. The present scenario depicts that JVBI has 3 international and 10 national collaborations, 12 industrial linkages. The institute regularly organizes various student/faculty exchange programs, student training programs, training and blocks placement program for students' enormous intense growth.

Based on the recognition of its works during the early days, JVBI received the status of Deemed to be University at the time of inception and today, it is an `A' category MHRD institute with a 12-B Status by UGC. It has received International Institution Recognition 'Jaina Presidential Award' by Federation of Jaina Association North America. "We made Gunnies World Record for Yoga postures that were performed by some of the students enrolled in Yoga and Science of Living program of Distance Education," says Prof. B.R. Dugar. In 2018, JVBI became the 'Best Deemed University in Rajasthan' as awarded by Asia Education Summit and Awards and was ranked 17th in the Top 25 private/deemed universities in India ­ 2014 by Higher Education Review magazine. The faculty of the Institute has been endowed with 4 Presidential Awards and has been awarded `Dr. Sriprakash Dube Smriti Rashtriya Darshan Puraskar' by the Akhil Bharatiya Darshan Parishad for development and research in the field of Philosophy and its various branches. In the coming years, JVBI will also win awards from other fields like naturopathy as it plans to include Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yoga Sciences in its curriculum and incept a 50 bedded naturopathy hospital!