GNDU celebrates 54th foundation day
Amritsar, November 24
Guru Nanak Dev University celebrated its 54th foundation day dedicated to the Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev as Dr Parneet Sachdev, Professor of Eminence, GND University (former Principal Chief Commissioner Income Tax, North West) and Prof Darshan Singh, former professor, Guru Gobind Singh Department of Religious Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, delivered academic lectures based on scientific theology.
Academicians, scholars, students and eminent personalities participated in the celebrations that commenced with Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu presenting the report of the development of the university. The VC honoured guest speakers and said that the GNDU had tried to amalgamate academic progress with principles of philosophy and humanity.
Parneet Sachdev in his academic lecture said that prior to the 19th century, what we know as ‘science’ today, was actually referred to as “natural philosophy”. “For centuries theology and science rejected each other completely, each believing that the other had no wisdom or truth in it. Yet, today the interdisciplinary field of “scientific theology” has become mutually investigative and enriching. More than 5,000 controlled studies have been published on the subject of gratitude,” he said. Gratitude, he emphasised, is far deeper than just saying thanks. “There is a science to it and a profound scientific methodology for obtaining benefits, as research has more or less established a strong linkage of gratitude to longevity, relationships and health.”
He stressed that positive psychology lays a lot of emphasis on the science of gratitude, which he shared finds applications in therapy, including treatments of heart conditions and cancer. “Gratitude has been shown to contribute not only to an increase in happiness, health, but also to a decrease in problematic functioning, including in patients with neuromuscular disease, hypertension, patients with cancer, health care providers, and early adolescents,” he shared. He also inaugurated newly renovated reading hall in the Bhai Gurdas Library. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister of Agriculture, and Satpal Singh Sokhi, member senate, were also present in the morning celebrations.
While delivering academic lecture on ‘Satguru Baba Nanak’ Prof Darshan Singh said that this discourse (vikhyan) presents a very brief description of the period before the arrival of Guru Nanak Dev, the decline and depravity in religious, social, political domains, with reference to the writings from Gurbani and Bhai Gurdas, and especially focusing on the notion of ‘religion’ and ‘sin’. In his lecture, Prof Singh attempted to highlight Guru Nanak’s holy mission with reference to Bani and Janam-Sakhi. Dr Darshan Singh related the Guru Nanak’s Udaasiyan to practical way of delivering the mankind a message that led the people towards a peaceful way of living a life of spiritual prosperity.
Apart from lectures, the GNDU campus hosted several notable cultural and social events, including a folklore exhibition where crafts and everyday items of use from erstwhile Punjabi households were displayed. Kirtan darbar at the university Gurdwara Sahib was organised followed by langer.
