Department of Philosophy

University School of Psychology,

Gujarat University, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad – 380009.

Phone : +91-79-23603562

Director & Head      :           Dr. Y. S. Shastri

Introduction

The Department of Philosophy was established in the Gujarat University Campus in 1969 with a single lecturer and developed into a full fledge department, with one Professor, two readers and one Lecturer. This department offers M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. courses. Twenty five to thirty students study in the department every year.

            The department of Philosophy has the privilege of having nationally and internationally known scholars as its Professors and Heads. Professor J.A.Yajnik, who was joined this department in the year 1971, as a Professor, is a nationally known scholar of Philosophy, who was selected as the President of Indian Philosophical Congress, held in Bhuvaneshwar in 1995. He was a member of several committees of U.G.C. and I.C.P.R. He has authored several books and written research paper in English and in Gujarati. Professor J. J. Shukla, who was a Reader, has contributed more than six books in the field of Philosophy. He was also Secretary of Darshan Parishad for several years.

            Professor Dr. Yajneshwar S. Shastri, Professor and Head, Department of Philosophy at present and who is also the Director of School of Psychology, Education and Philosophy is internationally known Indologist. He has contributed 10 books and more than 70  research papers in the field of Philosophy and Religion. He was Director of International Conference on World Peace held between 29 December, 2003- 2 January, 2004 in Ahmedabad. Delegates from 23 countries from all over the World participated. Dr. Shastri was selected as Sectional President of ‘Religion’ of World Philospher’s meet, organized by the Indian Philosophical Congress, Delhi, 2000-2001. He was also selected as the key speaker by the Indian Philosophical Congress in 1998 to deliver lecture on Vedanta under the auspices of PratapSeth Vedanta Lectures. Dr. Shastri  was invited by the different American Universities to teach Indian Philosophy and religions, as the distinguished Indian scholar under the International Scholar Program. He was also invited by the University of California(UCLA), Los Angeles and Cleveland State University (CSU) Ohio, to deliver several lectures on Indian Philosophy in 1998 and I 1995 respectively. Dr. Shastri  was one of the panel members of UGC under 9^th and 10^th Five year Plan. He was selected as the Chairperson in more than 5 International conferences, such as, 1)  International Congress of Asian and  North African Studies, Toronto University ,Canada 1991; 2) World Philosopher’s Meet held at MIT , Pune,1997;3)World philosophy congress held at Delhi, 2000-2001. He was the  only  foreign scholar, who was selected  as the  Chairperson in the  First International conference of  Philosophy, held  in Kuwait University  from 4-7  November,2001.He chaired different  sessions in 8 national  seminars and conferences. He is selected as chief Editor of Isavasyopanisad with 43 Sanskrit commentaries, a  research project , taken by the Department of  Asian Studies, Loyola Marymount  University, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Recently,  he was selected as the  President, World Peace Foundation, established during the International Conference on World Peace  held in Ahmedabad.Dr. Shastri has already successfully guided 8 Ph.D. students  and other 7 students are working  under him from their Doctoral dissertation.

            The Department of Philosophy ,through small, is always  academically always academically very  active in all these  years. The Department arranged 21 days UGC workshop in 1985. The Department hosted Indian Philosophical Congress 1989. The Department organized International  Social Philosophy Congress in 1991.A 2 days regional  level seminar on Indian Philosophy was arranged in 1998. The National seminar  on Advaita  Philosophy  (17-19 Feb) was organized by the department in 2000, in association with ICPR. The Department organized a two-day national seminar on Jainism on 10-11 December ,2001. The department has organized  International  Conference on World Peace from 29 Dec.2003 to 2 Jan.2004, in which 300 delegates from 22 different  countries from all over the World participated  and more than 200 research papers were presented. The Department has brought  out Souvenir and Abstract of  papers at the time  of  conference.

            The Department  has successfully guided more than 50 M.Phil. students and 20 Ph.D. students so far. Seven students are working under Prof. Y.S. Shastri  for their Doctoral thesis. Experts in this subject are very often invited to address the  students. Assignment system has been introduced  along with seminar system  to improve the academic standard  of the students.

Courses Offered 

Course Name : M.A

Course  Type : Grant in Aid

Intake :40

Eligibility : B.A

Subject offered / Specialization  : Philosophy

Duration : 2 Years

Course Commencement : June

Admission process :By Merit

Fees : 750-00; 640-00

Course offered at : School of Psychology , Philosophy and Education

Future career opportunity / Placement facility , if any : Lecturer , B.Ed.  entry, GPSC.

Course Name : M.Phil.

Course  Type :Grant In Aid

Intake : 12

Eligibility : M. A with 55%

Subject offered /  Specialization  : Philosophy

Duration : 1 year

Course Commencement : June

Admission process :By Merit

Fees :1350/ 00; 1140-00

Course offered at :Dept. of Philosophy

Future career opportunity / Placement facility , if any : Ph.D., GPSC, Lectureship etc.

Faculty

Name                                       :           Dr. Y. S. Shastri

Qualification                            :           M.A., Ph.D.

Designation                             :           Director, Professor & HoD

Areas of Specialization            :          Buddhism, Shankara Nyaya, Philosophy of Religion, Jainism

Contact No.                              :           26303562 (O) 26751779 (R )

Name                                       :           Dr. D. S. Charan

Qualification                            :           M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Designation                             :           Lecturer

Areas of Specialization            :          Philosophy

Contact No.                              :           26303562 (O) 9824589826 (M)