Setubandha Scheme connects gurukuls with modern education
By Debasmita Dasgupta – timesofindia.com
The gurukul students will get recognition and research opportunities at mainstream colleges. To promote gurukul education and recognise talent, the government has introduced a scholarship programme, which will allow bright students to highlight their knowledge. It has launched the Setubandha Scholar Scheme 2025, partnering with the Central Sanskrit University (CSU) and the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) Division. This will connect India’s fast-fading shastric knowledge and traditional practices with new-age education and research demands.
The inaugural shortlist features 222 students and research scholars representing disciplines such as:
Vyakarana (Grammar)
Vedanta (Veds)
Nyaya (Law)
Mimamsa
Performing Arts
Temple Architecture
Jyotisa (Astronomy)
Ayurveda
Political Science
The initiative aligns with NEP 2020 which emphasises multidisciplinary research and the integration of IKS into mainstream education. The initiative will safeguard India’s intellectual heritage, with over 40 percent of scholars specialising in Vedic studies and around 30 percent in language traditions.
Scholars trained in guru-shishya parampara will now receive academic certification, research opportunities and financial support
"For the first time, these traditional students are being recognised not merely as custodians of India’s past, but as torchbearers of its future. Setubandha ensures that no student is left behind due to financial hardship or the absence of formal certificates," says Prof Srinivasa Varakhedi, Vice-Chancellor, Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi.
"The initiative is designed to bridge traditional gurukul education and modern university degrees, hence the name setu," says Shivdev, guru, Pondhe Gurukul, Dehradun.
The scheme has transformational scope. Prof Varakhedi says, "The Setubandha Scheme opens the doors of premier institutions like IITs to gurukul students who lack conventional degrees, giving them a chance to pursue cutting-edge research. For the first time, their traditional learning will find structured pathways into India’s top research ecosystems."
POSTED BY : EDUCATION TIMES
DATE : 06/10/2025
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