Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission on Wednesday launched the Institute of Human Excellence and Social Sciences.
Education minister Bratya Basu inaugurated a 12-storey building that houses the institute on the sprawling campus of Vivek Tirtha in New Town in the presence of Swami Smaranananda, president of the order.
The institute — which chief minister Mamata Banerjee had proposed in 2014 when she offered five acres of land to the Math and Mission — will comprise seven wings, all aimed at realising the excellence in a human being, senior monks said.
Some of these are Centre for Value Education, Centre for Skill Development, School of Indian Arts and Culture, School of Languages and Soft Skills, a research wing and a publications division.
The institute, near Eco Park’s gate number 1, will have four buildings. The one unveiled on Wednesday will be the tallest.
The other three will come up on the same campus, which also houses an auditorium whose façade resembles that of the Art Institute of Chicago.
“Swami Vivekananda has laid stress on an education system that will produce individuals with perfect coordination of the heart, mind and the power to work. This institute at Vivek Tirtha is an attempt to realise Swamiji’s dream of empowering individuals with the right set of values and knowledge,” said Swami Suvirananda, general secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.
“We are grateful to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, without whose active and grand support this would not have been possible.”
Initially, certificate and diploma courses will be offered. Eventually, the courses will be brought within the ambit of the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, a deemed university in Belur.
“Once that happens, we can offer undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes as well,” a monk said.
Senior monks of the order said the Centre for Value Education would offer personality development courses for the youth and value-orientation courses for government and corporate employees.
The Centre for Skill Development will offer courses on computer operations and other professional skills, while the School of Languages and Soft Skills will have courses on Indian and foreign languages, communication skills, leadership training and public speaking.
The School of Indian Arts and Culture will house a permanent exhibition on India’scultural and spiritual heritage and its relevance in modern times.
The universal message of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda will be the main highlight of the permanent exhibition.
“We will start the courses shortly. Arranging funds has been a challenge. We have spent close to Rs 150 crore and need at least another Rs 25 crore for the project,” said Swami Bodhasarananda.
Addressing the gathering, education minister Basu recalled how the chief minister, while attending a programme at Belur Math, had first floated the idea of setting up a centre for human excellence and requested monks at the Ramakrishna order to set it up.
“Mamata Banerjee leased out 5 acres of land to the Math and Mission to realise this dream. She even said that since monks don’t have personal money, she paid Re 1 as the lease fee,” Basu said. “The state government has paid Rs 20 crore in tranches for this project.”
Muslims join hands to paint alpona at Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral home
A Muslim joined hands with three Hindus to paint alpona at Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral home on Simla Street in north Calcutta on Tuesday. Thursday is the 160th birth anniversary of the monk and social reformer, who championed religious harmony.
“I am an alpona evangelist. I will always look for opportunities to do alpona. Swami Vivekananda’s birthday offered one such opportunity,” said Mudar Patherya, a communications consultant and social worker. He was joined by Ratnabali Ghosh, Prasanta Sain and Additiya Mookerjee. The alponas were done around Vivekananda’s statue near the entrance, on the pavement outside the house and around the Ramakrishna Mancha, among other places.
Most of the people who passed by stopped and gave a second look. “On Wednesday morning, a monk from the Ramakrishna Mission called up to say they really liked our work,” Patherya said.