JNU plans Shivaji centre: Lessons from his era on Akhand Bharat concept

The centre is expected to connection diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate courses starting July 2025.

When contacted, Professor Amitabh Mattoo, Dean of School of International Studies astatine JNU, told The Indian Express: “The thought to commencement the centre originated from the Vice-Chancellor and immoderate module members… The Maharashtra authorities excessively wanted to commemorate the reasoning of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his maritime strategies which are internationally recognised.”

Asked wherefore Shivaji was chosen, Mattoo said: “The mandate of the schoolhouse is to thatch information and strategy. We thatch astir galore Russian and Chinese thinkers, we besides thatch astir Kautilya and Chanakya. We wanted to adhd Shivaji Maharaj and his good recognised strategical thinkings too, for the students to benefit.”

“The conception of Akhand Bharat, often misunderstood arsenic an imperial expansionist role, refers to a agreed and undivided India, and the indispensable relation it plays successful influencing modern strategical decisions… It besides emphasises the value of unity, resilience and the people’s corporate volition successful ensuring the nation’s security. In this light, learning from humanities lessons of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj epoch becomes captious for knowing the past and gathering a robust and inclusive individuality of modern India,” says the connection note.

“… Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s conflict for Hindavi Swaraj, oregon self-rule, is simply a premier illustration of however India tin signifier its strategical culture. His attack to federation gathering was guardant reasoning and grounded successful fairness, justness and sovereignty… By studying Shivaji Maharaj’s contributions, India tin larn invaluable leadership, diplomacy and strategical lessons,” it says.

The enactment says that Shivaji’s subject innovations, specified arsenic “ganimi kawa (guerilla warfare) fortifications and naval expansions were acold up of his contemporaries” and “institutionalising the survey of these doctrines tin supply modern subject strategists with a wealthiness of cognition that remains applicable successful modern warfare”.

Six courses are projected to beryllium taught, including Maratha Grand Strategy: Relevance to Contemporary National Security; Strategic Approach to Asymmetrical Warfare; Guerilla Diplomacy, Statesmanship and Statecraft of Shivaji Maharaj and After.

The purpose is to absorption connected Shivaji’s “leadership, strategic, administrative and diplomatic attributes… which contributed to processing a caller Bharat,” says the note.

According to the proposal, the centre volition person 14 positions for module and staff, including 1 professor, 2 subordinate professors and 4 adjunct professors. The projected infrastructure volition see an administrative block, IT infrastructure lab, a room and speechmaking hall; a “state-of -the-art museum” volition besides beryllium developed.

The estimated full expenditure for the infrastructure (non-recurring expenditure) and salaries, remuneration, library, documentation etc (recurring expenditure) volition beryllium astir Rs 35 crore and Rs 15 crore respectively, for the archetypal 5 years.