Nagaland University Introduces New Programme — MA in Language and Culture

Nagaland University, the sole Central University in the state, has introduced a Master of Arts programme in Language and Culture, which is an interdisciplinary Master’s degree. The programme is designed to safeguard, encourage, and further the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Naga people. Students will be able to learn about and investigate various courses or curricula from multiple fields of study through the course, rather than being restricted to a single discipline.

Classes for the first group will start on August 5. This programme will admit a total of 20 students. The Centre for Naga Tribal Language Studies offers the course. This course is structured as an interdisciplinary programme spanning four semesters, integrating perspectives from different schools of thought foundational to the study of language and culture. The course aims to move beyond the traditional approaches that involve working in silos, promoting instead a more holistic understanding.

Graduates of this programme would be prepared to sit for the UGC NET examinations in three papers:

1) Language Science

2) Popular Literature

3) Local and Tribal Language

The programme will prepare students for various career paths, both traditional and emerging, including research, teaching, digital archiving, consultancy, development sector roles, language planning, and policy analysis.

Regarding this new programme, Prof. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, Vice-Chancellor of Nagaland University, stated, “This marks a milestone as the first interdisciplinary master’s degree of its kind introduced by our university. This programme is a significant and timely initiative designed to preserve, promote, and advance the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the Naga people. This demonstrates Nagaland University’s ongoing dedication to academic excellence, inclusivity, and the promotion of indigenous knowledge systems.”

Nagaland University, which is the only Central University in Nagaland and the 13th Central University overall, was founded under an Act of Parliament in India. This Act, known as The Nagaland University Act 1989, was approved by the President of India on October 20, 1989. On September 6, 1994 authoritative encompassing Sacross-ing