Mysuru:  Renowned Kannada Novelist and retired Professor of Philosophy Dr. S. L. Bhyrappa will inaugurate the three-day centenary celebrations of the Department of Studies in Philosophy, University of Mysore (UoM), tomorrow (Mar.22) at 10 am in the EMRC (Educational Multi-Media Research Centre) auditorium, Manasagangothri campus.

This is the first Department in the University (UoM celebrated its centenary on July 27, 2016) that is celebrating its centenary. As part of the celebrations, the Department is organising a three-day national seminar on the topic “Hundred Years of Philosophy in Mysore University – An Overview” from Mar.22 to 24.The seminar is sponsored by University of Potential Excellence (UPE), UoM.

Mysore University In-Charge Vice-Chancellor Prof. C. Basavaraju will preside. Registrar D. Bharathi and UPE Director Prof. G. Hemanth Kumar will be the guests of honour.

History of Philosophy Department

The Department of Philosophy is almost as old as the University of Mysore. It was established under the stewardship of Prof. A.R. Wadia, who had his higher education in Oxford and Cambridge. He came all the way from Mumbai to start the Department.

Classmate of Swami Vivekananda and the second Vice- Chancellor of the University, Sir Brajendra Nath Seal, who also taught Philosophy, is the longest serving VC in the history of UoM. He was the VC from 1921 to 1930. He left the post and went back to Calcutta because of his failing health.

Prof. M. Hiriyanna, widely known for his deep scholarship in Sanskrit, taught Indian Philosophy at the Department. In 1918, Bharat Ratna Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who later became the President of India, joined the staff of the Philosophy Department and by his magnetic personality and unbounded love for the subject, attracted hundreds of students both from Science and Arts faculties. It was in Mysuru he wrote his book on “Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore.”

Within a short period of his three-years stay in the University, he took the Department to national and international fame. Prof. A. N. Moorthy Rao, Prof. V. Sitaramaiah, Prof. M. Yamunacharya, Prof. M. Krishna Rao and Prof. M.V. Krishna Rao were the distinguished students of Dr. Radhakrishnan.

The Department attracted talented litterateurs like Prof. K.V. Puttappa (Kuvempu), Prof. S.L. Bhyrappa and many others.

Highlights of the three-day seminar: Eminent speakers from different parts of the country will speak on the distinguished Professors who served in the Philosophy Department in its hundred-year history.

Prof. K.S. Yadurajan from Central Institute of Foreign Languages, Hyderabad, will speak on Prof. A.R. Wadiya-The Most Humane and Exemplary Philosopher and Prof. K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar-The Titan of Philosophy. Prof. Sibnath Sarma from Gauhati University, Guwahati and Prof. P.R. Bhat from Humanities and Social Sciences Department, IIT Powai, Bombay will speak on Prof. M. Hiriyanna on Values-An Overview.

Prof. V. N. Sheshagiri Rao, Visiting Professor, Swami Vivekananda Chair, DoS in Philosophy, University of Mysore will speak on Prof. S. Radhakrishnan’s Contribution to Philosophy-An Outline. Prof. Bhupendra Chandra Das, Vidya Sagar University, Midnapore, will speak on The Philosophy of Sir Brajendra Nath Seal. G.H. Krishna Murthy will speak on My Father Prof. G. Hanumantha Rao. Prof. V. K. Natraj, former Registrar, UoM, will speak on Prof. N.A. Nikam as a Professor and Vice-Chancellor (he is the only person from Philosophy Department to be the VC of UoM). Dr. Pradhan Gurudatta, former Chairman of Kuvempu Bhasha Bharathi Pradhikara, will speak on Prof. K.B. Ramakrishna Rao’s contributions.

On Mar. 24, Prof. B. Sheikh Ali, former VC of Mangalore and Goa Universities, will deliver the valedictory address at 3 pm.

Research Scholars, alumni of the Department and Professors from many other Universities will participate in the seminar.