New Delhi: With an aim to boost studies on India-Afghanistan relations, an Afghan Resource Centre was recently established at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The increasing number of Afghan students in India has popularised Pashto language in the country.
Approximately 50 Indian students recently enrolled at the Centre of Persian and Central Asian Studies to study Pashto under Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Bachelors programmes.
The Afghan Resource Centre has been established by India-Afghanistan Foundation. It provides a fine library and free internet connection for students.
“Pashto has become a very important language today due to the growing relationship between the two countries. Apart from Dari, we have a Persian language programme. We are paying more attention to developing the Pashto studies programme. Under the India- Afghan Foundation, we have just initiated another dialogue in terms of having more interaction with our counterparts,” said Syed Ainul Hasan, Professor, Centre of Persian and Central Asian studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Twelve Indian students from the Pashto department will be visiting Kabul University next month for a fellowship programme.
“If we talk about the resource centre, this is a new initiative between Afghanistan and India. The aim of the resource centre is to help Indian students do a fellowship programme under the supervision of Kabul University to learn Pashto. This is the first time a group of Indian students will be visiting Afghanistan and it is a great opportunity for Indian and Afghan students to learn the language and culture of Afghanistan,” said Mohammed Anwar Kheri a visiting faculty from Kabul University.
The Pashto language programme was launched in Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1974.
As per the Memorandum of understanding between India and Afghanistan, a visiting Professor from Kabul University teaches in JNU and similarly an Indian professor visits Kabul University to teach Hindi and Sanskrit.
“India Afghan Foundation is a joint venture between the governments of India and Afghanistan to promote research in Pashto and Dari languages,” said Dr. Istakiyad Ahmed, Associate Faculty, Dari and Persian language.
The resource centre will enrich the students, scholars and researchers about India-Afghanistan relations. (ANI)