Ram in management books | Ram, a mattter of faith?

New Delhi: While Indian politics recovers from its convulsions over the Ram controversy, few management students are about to get their share of the God’s advice soon.

The episode in the epic Ramayan where Lord Ram, the exiled prince, advises his brother Bharat has become part of management studies in a course on public administration and management.

The institute - the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthanam, an autonomous body under the Union Human Resource Development ministry – says the chapter pertains to public management

"We have designed a course on public administration and management which is based on relevant aspects of Lord Ram's advice to Bharat on good governance. The relevant aspects from the Mahabharata will also be included," the Vice Chancellor of the institute, V Kutumbshastri was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

Lord Ram had asked Bharat nearly 400 questions on governance when the younger brother requested him not to go into exile, which the institute authorities believe have an underlined message.

"All the questions related to the principles of administration. The questions and other conversations with Bharat had an underlying message - what is the thrust of good governance, how public grievances should be taken care of and so on," Kutumbshastri was quoted as saying.

Besides this lesson, there are several excerpts in the Ramayan with Ram speaking on issues of public administration and these will find a place in the course material too, he said.

"The relevant material has already been collected and the study material is in the process of preparation. The course structure is in the final stages of being finalised," Kutumbshastri said.

The institute has set up a committee which is looking into the study material and course structure. The course will be initiated in the distant education format.

The institute, set up to promote Sanskrit education in the country, has got the permission from the Distance Education Council to start courses in distance mode. This may initially be a three-month certificate course that will later be upgraded into a diploma or advanced diploma course, he said.

However, Kutubshastri denied the move had anything to do with the controversy surrounding the Ram Sethu o r the Sethusamduran project.

The course will also contain Bheeshm's advice to Yudhishtir, described in the epic Mahabharat.(With PTI inputs)