Department of Hindi

Objectives

Hindi is the official language of the Union and is widely spoken across the country. It is offered as a basic and as an optional subject at the degree level, helping students communicate fluently with people in every walk of life and overcome the barriers of regional languages.

Since Hindi is taught at the primary and high-school levels, it is logical to continue it at college, where students can be drawn to the elegance of Hindi epics and the rich and varied regional culture of North India.

History of the department

In the beginning the department taught only the language (MIL) course; optional and minor subjects were introduced later. Prof. K. A. Bhat, a well-known literary figure, headed the department for more than a decade. A man of letters with wide-ranging interests, he was an ideal teacher, a noted speaker, poet and singer, and well versed in astrology.

Prof. B. M. Shetty served the department for more than 30 years. She took personal care of the problems of women students and encouraged them in particular to take part in the college's NSS activities. She retired in August 2011.

Shobha Shet and Vijayalakshmi Hegde worked as lecturers for a few years. Dr. Sulochana S. Sukhasare has been Head of the Department since 2008. Her M.Phil. thesis was on "Hindi ekankini andha Vishwas" and her Ph.D. thesis on "Hindi ekankini andha Vishwas ek adhyayan".

Vision and mission

Vision: To innovate and shape a value-based future.

Mission: To make Hindi the preferred language of communication across the nation and to influence society.

Subjects taught

• History of Hindi literature
• Autobiography and biography
• Travel literature
• Poetics and prosody
• Criticism
• Grammar
• Short stories, novels and essays

Learning resources

• Central library with 1,437 reference books
• N-LIST e-journals

Best practices and activities

• Hindi Sangha, workshops, seminars and student project work
• Talent competitions, and book prizes for students scoring the highest marks in the university examination
• Free books for students who need them
• Special lectures and workshops on career opportunities and personality development
• State-level seminars on the relevance of Ambedkar's thoughts and on B. H. Shridhara's literature; a workshop on Women, Society and Literature
• Student seminars on the poets of the Bhakti period: Surdas, Tulsidas, Kabirdas, Meerabai, Rahim and Jayasi
• Hindi group songs on Independence Day and Republic Day, and essay competitions