Gandhi Vidya Mandir, Sardarshahr (Churu), Rajahsthan, (GVM hereinafter) established in 1950, is a society registered under the Society Registration Act. It is located in the Thar Desert area of Rajasthan about 300 km west of Delhi, 125 km east of Bikaner and 250 km north of Jaipur. It was conceptualized as a Rural University by its founder Shri Kanhaiyalal Dugar in consultation with a team of eminent Gandhians consisting of Vinobha Bhave, Kishorilal Mashruwala, Dr. Shrimannaryan Agarwal, Haribhau Upadhyay, S.K. Jaju and many others. GVM was established with the mission of uplifting of the populace of this desolate underdeveloped remote region by spreading the light of knowledge, empowering the rural people economically socially, establishing harmonious relationship among people of different sections of the society and imparting value aided education to the learners. BLD Ayurved Vishva Bharti (Ayurveda College) of GVM was indurated and foundation stone of the proposed Rural University building was laid in 1955 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. However the concept of Rural University could not be materialized due to lack of provisions in the relevant law at that time.
The GVM has been involved in a number of community activities ranging from educational, rural development, alcohol-tobacco-opium de-addiction, social stigmas & atrocities and poverty alleviation activities targeted for the upliftment of the people in this deprived and desolate region. Recognizing the developmental activities of the GVM our first and second Prime Ministers Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru and Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri contributed Rs 50,000/- each from Prime Minister’s Fund. The first Deputy Prime Minister of India Sh. Vallabh Bhai Patel also contributed money personally for it. Activities and contribution of GVM in the fields of education, social services, human values, peace education and global harmony have also been recognized by several agencies (Governmental and non-government) from time to time.
GVM’s higher educational programs started in 1953 through Basic Teachers’ Training College. In 1954, this course was replaced by Basic STC. The degree courses started in 1956, postgraduate studies in 1960 and research (Ph.D.) programs in 1968. B.Ed. college of GVM was elevated and was given status of Institute of Advanced Studies in Education (IASE) under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in 1993. The IASE of Gandhi Vidya Mandir was declared as a ‘Deemed University’ under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 vide Notification No. F.9-29/2000-U.3 of 25th June 2002, issued by the Government of India. The deemed university has been admitted to the membership of the Association of Indian Universities vide their letter dated June 30, 2003. IASE is a NAAC accredited Grade ‘B’ deemed University.
Courses available in the deemed University:
Apart from schools run by the GVM from pre-primary to Sr. Secondary level, higher educational facilities available on-campus in the University are a multi-faculty college for girls, co-education colleges in Education, Humanities, Life-Sciences, Management and Engineering. The courses available are B.A., B.Sc., M.A., M.Sc., BBA, BCA, MCA, MBA, B.Tech., B.Ed., M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Education, Bio-Technology, History, Hindi, Geography, Value Education and Management.
Interdisciplinary research on Peace, Harmony and Human Values
The founder of GVM, Swami Shri Ramsharanji Maharaj said “One must be able to prevent degeneration of human society by providing equitable education of the highest order in different streams of knowledge.” That is why IASE deemed University has constantly been focusing on Value and Moral Education, Ethical and Humane Education, Peace and Harmony Education in the campus right from its inception. Moreover, MHRD, UGC, The National Policy of Education, various Commission & Committees on Education have stressed that in our culturally plural society education should foster universal and eternal values oriented towards the unity and integration of people.
Apart from general research and Ph.D. work, the university has taken initiative to make research especially in the field of Peace and Existential Harmony. To boost interest in inter disciplinary research on Peace, Harmony and Human Values, the university organizes seminars, workshops etc. from time to time involving faculty members and Research Scholars from all over the country and abroad. Six Harmony Research Chairs have been established associating about 150 Professors and other eminent scholars from different states of the country. 45 Harmony Research Projects have yet been completed under these Chairs out of which 8 project reports have been published in form of Books. Publication of remaining project reports is in progress. The works carried on by Harmony Chairs have been acknowledged by a number of National and International Organizations.
Institute of Global Harmony
The deemed university of GVM has also established an Institute of Global Harmony (IGH) as one of its special programs. The Institute (IGH) is an experiment to explore a collective teaching and learning experience that will enable future generation of people, who believe of their own accord in the dictum that the only way to live a life of happiness and without fear, to live in harmony with themselves, the society and the environment. In doing so, they have freedom to realize full potential and achieve excellence in their pursuits.
