SPPU inks pact with Defence Ministry to work on India’s military history

From among over 90 university applications received by the MoD, about 28 were shortlisted and SPPU was the only one selected for establishing the centre of excellence.

Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) established a one-of-its-kind centre of excellence in the country that will focus on publishing India’s military history dating to the pre-colonial era and beyond.

SPPU officials and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) inked a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard during a ceremony held in Pune Friday. MoD has offered a sum of Rs 2 crore to SPPU’s Department of Strategic Studies, which will house this centre.

“The centre of excellence will focus on tracing back India’s gallantry history and understand the changes that happened over time. The centre will work on two aspects —to sensitize young students aged 8 to 18 about Indian history and to bring out publications and small modules on e-learning platforms on the subject so that India’s vibrant history is taken to a larger mass,” said SPPU Vice-Chancellor Professor Nitin Karmalkar.

From among over 90 university applications received by the MoD, about 28 were shortlisted and SPPU was the only one selected for establishing the centre of excellence.

Mayank Tewari, Joint Secretary (Establishment/Planning/Training), MoD, said SPPU was among the most competent entrants and expressed the desire that the MoU with SPPU last beyond the stipulated three years.

He said, “The setting of the centre of excellence is another step by the MoD to reach out to the masses and showcase the excellent works done by India’s Armed Forces, both in recent years and in the past. The centre will handle one aspect of writing what has happened historically but we can also work on what will happen in the future.”

On its collaboration with SPPU, the Joint Secretary said for any nation to progress, there is need for innovation, learning and knowledge along with its dissemination to the younger generation and to those in a position to serve the country and take decisions.

Talking of chalking out plans for future collaborations, Tewari expressed that the MoD was keen to work with SPPU and believes that the university is capable of meeting the ministry’s short and long term requirements.

“Based on this partnership, we need to develop an institutional mechanism to take forward a lot of SPPU’s ongoing research on the current areas of interest that have great value for the country as a whole,” he said.

Karmalkar further said that over the next three years, the newly-established centre of excellence will work on publishing papers and books and organise lecture series so that every important aspect from India’s history is taken to the masses.

He also mentioned that the university is working closely with governments of Punjab and Madhya Pradesh in an effort to trace the history of the Maratha empire.

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