Sikkim University to start PhD Courses in three local languages namely Bhutia, Lepcha and Limboo from this academic year
Sikkim University starts courses in three local languages of Sikkim namely Bhutia, Lepcha and Limboo. The courses will enforce from this academic year, each of the subjects will have two seats respectively. Sikkim University remains the only in the state and in the whole country to introduce PhDs in these three languages.
Sikkim university was established in the year 2006 and is presently located at Gangtok, the capital town of Sikkim, operates from several hired buildings located along NH-10. The main administrative office of the University is located at Samdur, 6th Mile, Tadong. The permanent campus of the University is coming up at Yangang in South Sikkim.
At first, the university started from four departments — Social System and Anthropology; Peace and Conflict Studies and Management; International Relations/Politics; and Microbiology. The university offers traditional courses in humanities, physical and life sciences, and forestry along with non-traditional courses that are unique and related to the state including subjects like ethnic history, mountain studies, border studies, and hill music and culture, and now Sikkim university has 29 departments in total.
Speaking with Sikkim Chronicle, Abinash Khare, Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University said “We are starting PhD in three local languages of Sikkim that is Limboo, Lepcha and Bhutia, the PhD program is not only for four years but extendable for 5 years, for the first 6 months the scholars have to do course work after that the actual PhD program will start. As far as concerned with the relevance of the state’s welfare the coming up of new courses on local languages by the Sikkim University it will play an important role because the local languages need to be promoted and preserved”
“As of now there is no NET examination for these three courses but the Sikkim University will write a letter to UGC to allow NET fellowship for these languages” VC Khare
Similarly, Laxuman Sharma, Dean Student Affairs Sikkim University mentioned that the new courses will have 2 seats in language courses, “The new courses which has been introduced in the Sikkim University will have 2 seats in each of the languages and Sikkim University is the only university to have PhDs in Bhutia, Limboo and Lepcha languages”
AB Limboo In-charge Limboo Department believes that the PhD in these three local languages will increase its scope, “It is a big achievement in terms of state’s education sector, as with having PhD in these languages the scope of these local languages will increase which in fact was much needed in Sikkim University”
“we are at initial state, so the intake of the scholar is limited but with time the seats will be increased” he added
Similarly, Hissay Namgyal Bhutia In-charge Bhutia Department who also happens to be the first batch student of Masters in Bhutia language when it was first introduced in Sikkim university mentioned that this is a big achievement in terms of promotion and preservation of local language, “Sikkim University started Masters in Bhutia language in the year 2016 and now from this year PhD course has been introduced which I feel is a big achievement in terms of promotion and preservation of the languages”
“Every community has its own history and culture and as far as concerned with the Bhutia language, there are so many unturned stones and unspoken history about our culture and tradition of Bhutia and now with coming up of the PhD course research can be done in such fields ” he added
Rinchen Ongmu Lepcha In-charge Lepcha Department said “It is a great opportunity and achievement for scholars and academician like us, as with coming up of PhD course we will be able to explore the hidden facts about our tradition and present it a broader way”
“And if the proposal of the NET for these three languages gets approved by the UGC then the scope of these languages will increase, and we will be able to compete in higher platforms as well” she added
