By Lipi Mehta:
I never learned Sanskrit in school (or college) and today, I am wondering if I really missed out on anything. I am saying this because HRD Minister Smriti Irani recently put forth a request to IITs to teach Sanskrit, a move that brought forward many, many mixed responses. According to Irani, this will help “facilitate the study of science and technology as reflected in Sanskrit literature”. Today, IIT Delhi’s director agreed, saying that it would be useful for tech students to learn the language to better understand scientific technology used ages ago. On Twitter, the hashtag #SanskritAndScience began trending with many users actually welcoming the move, stating how it could even be an amazing programming language! A user pointed out that the foundation texts of Ayurveda were written in Sanskrit, while others spoke about its use in philosophy, archaeology and cosmology, among other fields of learning.
However, there was also no dearth of tweets that questioned this move and took it apart hilariously. Do you think it makes sense to introduce Sanskrit at IITs? Read these and tweet your reaction to us: @YouthKiAwaaz
1. Lulz.
A Sanskrit Teacher Laughing at IIT Students who cannot write Newton's laws of motion in Sanskrit.(2016) pic.twitter.com/6eWQdUwLLB
— History of India (@RealHistoryPic) April 26, 2016
2. Imagine nuclear physics + Shakespeare. Boom!
Teaching Sanskrit in IITs is like teaching Nuclear Physics in an English Literature class – teaching a right thing at the wrong place
— The Bad Doctor (@DOCTORATLARGE) April 26, 2016
3. Noted.
Let me put it this way, Sir. You probably speak Sanskrit. Bill Gates almost certainly doesn't. https://t.co/sxFdIikSFx
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) April 27, 2016
4. Manish Sisodia can pull a fast one, for sure!
One should understand Sanskrit is the only language which can compete with C++, Java, SOL, Python, Javascript…1/2 https://t.co/QhYq3PcuZy
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 26, 2016
All computers in India using languages like C+, Java, SOL, Python..should b declared antinational once IITians learn working in sanskrit.2/2
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 26, 2016
5. Beats me.
https://twitter.com/krupakar_m/status/724854726446206980
6. Look at the larger picture!
https://twitter.com/ShirishKunder/status/724653891443367936
7. Is it something to be embarrassed about?
Why are we the elite Indians so apologetic about students getting the lifetime opportunity to study our own beautiful language #Sanskrit?
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) April 26, 2016
8. An alternative approach.
Why not set up a college or university dedicated to Sanskrit? Or the Indian languages at large? pic.twitter.com/3CiVnb18XP
— IndiaExplained (@IndiaExplained) April 26, 2016
9. Glad that didn’t happen.
Imagine if Sanskrit would have been introduced earlier in IIT what could have been the title of 'Half Girlfriend' by Acharya Chetan Bhagat?
— गुरू (@make_itpossible) April 27, 2016
10. Practical question.
A language taught in IITs can be there for max 2 semesters. How can you learn even basic level Sanskrit in 2 semester ? #SanskritAndScience
— 🔞 (@kickasss420) April 27, 2016