Bihar’s Nalanda University has formally integrated the ancient Indian tradition of Śāstrārtha — a historical form of philosophical, religious, and intellectual debate — by including it in the programme for the University’s third convocation being held this week.

The initiative, called ‘Śāstrārtha 2026’, is a platform for dissertation defence and scholarly debate spread over two days, on May 17 and 18. The programme seeks to renew the spirit of the Guru–Śiṣya Paramparā through meaningful intellectual engagement rather than ceremonial observance alone, a University official said. The formal convocation ceremony will take place on May 19, where graduating students will receive their degrees in the ancient Nalanda tradition.

“At Nalanda, we want students not merely to submit dissertations, but to understand, articulate, defend, and contextualise their ideas. Education cannot be outsourced to artificial intelligence; it must emerge from intellectual struggle and personal reflection,” Nalanda Vice Chancellor Sachin Chaturvedi said at the inaugural event. “Ancient Indian knowledge traditions never separated ethics from governance, or wisdom from public life. Our exploration of dharma, artha, and niti seeks to recover this integrated civilisational vision,” he added.

Argument and response

Over the course of two days, the university is hosting 23 thematic Śāstrārtha panels spanning Buddhist studies, Hindu studies, archaeology, ecology, international relations, sustainable development, literature, and philosophy.

The sessions are structured around the classical framework of Pūrvapakṣa (the initial argument) and Uttarapakṣa (the response), and encourage students and alumni to engage in disciplined reasoning, critical dialogue, and collaborative inquiry, an official said.

The debates are rooted in the foundational principles of Pramāṇa (valid knowledge), Tarka (logical reasoning), and Śīla (ethical conduct). A Nalanda University official said that the purpose of debate is not adversarial victory, but the pursuit of truth and deeper understanding. Ethical norms governing the event prohibit personal attacks and emphasise impartiality, mutual respect, and scholarly integrity.

Two honours will be conferred at the event: the Nālandā Śāstrārtha Sammāna for teachers who have nurtured the spirit of inquiry, and the Nālandā Śāstrārtha Puraskāra for students demonstrating exceptional scholarly debate and intellectual openness.

Reviving debate culture

The University emphasised that the initiative, a revival of the classical debate culture associated with the ancient Nālandā Mahāvihāra, aims to foster clarity of thought, methodological rigour, scholarly courage, and public accountability in academic discourse.

To kick off the event, an expert panel discussed ‘The Tradition of Śāstrārtha: History, Practice and Contemporary Relevance’. Panelists included Sachhidanand Mishra, member secretary, Indian Council of Philosophical Research; Mayank Shekhar Mishra, director, National Mission on Cultural Mapping, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts; Asanga Tilakaratne, visiting Professor, Nalanda University; Vishal Tarachand Gada, scholar and teacher of Jain Dharma; Godabarisha Mishra, Dean, School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions, Nalanda University; and D. Venkat Rao, Dean, School of Languages and Literatures/Humanities, Nalanda University.