< Jobs in these fields are very hard to come by, but the students are able to apply their training to many different (non-academic) enterprises.>
A difference with the situation in India is caused by the policy of the Central as well as of some state governments. One may recall the pro-mother tongue sentiments violently prevailing in the late sixties and the introduction of compulsory teaching through the state language in Government aided Institutions. The result was an abrupt fall in standard. Most of the dwindling number of Sanskrit students opted for mother tongue. When students needed writing only in his/her mother tongue consultation of books in English, not to speak of other European languages, became rare even for PhD students. The situation was partially amended by the spread of private institutions that kept the English medium compulsory. But these are expensive. As a result two classes of educated were created. Students in state aided Universities, unless not bereft of active encouragement from enlightened teachers, languished. Only non-state Centrally aided Universities (JNU, Visva Bharati, Delhi etc) had to retain English (they had to withstand the pressure of Hindi protagonist) to address students from different states.
Those students who had gained poor mastery of English when leaving state universities have no chance of getting jobs in non-teaching/private institutions where the knowledge of English is a must.
So a difference has arisen.
I must state that quite a few students could gain mastery of English and could contribute to international standards of research. But their number has been few.
Fortunately, of late, a reversion of the trend is noticeable.
Best
DB
--- On Wed, 29/6/11, Herman Tull <hwtull@msn.com> wrote:

From: Herman Tull <hwtull@msn.com>
Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] No incoming Sanskrit students at Andhra University :-(
To: "Dipak Bhattacharya" <dbhattacharya200498@YAHOO.COM>
Date: Wednesday, 29 June, 2011, 6:52 PM

I have only anecdotal evidence. I was a member of the Classics Department at Princeton University for several years. The department still fares well, with strong students (and good numbers) on both the undergraduate level and the graduate level studying Greek and Latin. Jobs in these fields are very hard to come by, but the students are able to apply their training to many different (non-academic) enterprises. One difference in modern U. S. education (since the turn of the century) is that Greek and Latin are no longer compulsory. Many schools in earlier days had an entrance exam in Greek and Latin; but that gradually declined at the end of the 19th century. As far as the best and the brightest not choosing Classics—there is so much choice now, whereas 100+ years ago the professions requiring education were so few (nearly all which, such as minister, physician, and teacher, required classical languages).

Herman Tull

From: Dipak Bhattacharya

Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 8:34 AM

To: INDOLOGY@liverpool.ac.uk

Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] No incoming Sanskrit students at Andhra University :-(

The problem with Sanskrit education in India is that its attraction lies mostly in the guarantee of jobs in schools. When Classical language is made an optional subject in the secondary stage most schools drop the posts of Teacher-in-Sanskrit to save money and the bell tolls for Sanskrit, when made compulsory the University Departments overflow. In Bengal at present we are seeing a tide following a long period of ebb. Let somebody howl and influence a big constituency in Andhra, they will see good days.
Another fact. Till the early part of the twentieth century there was a natural attraction for Sanskrit. The University Sanskrit departments drew the best students till about the sixties in Bengal. The decline came after that.
I often wonder if the same problems arose in the West too regarding Greek and Latin. I asked some friends. They were reticent or did not know. Will somebody kindly enlighten us?
Best
DB

--- On Wed, 29/6/11, Herman Tull <hwtull@MSN.COM> wrote:

From: Herman Tull <hwtull@MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] No incoming Sanskrit students at Andhra University :-(
To: INDOLOGY@liverpool.ac.uk
Date: Wednesday, 29 June, 2011, 12:10 PM

I was there as a student in the Wisconsin program 30+ years ago (actually in Telugu, but Sanskrit and Telugu were housed together). It was a pretty lively place back then...

Has there been a similar dwindling of Sanskrit students at other large Indian public universities?

Herman Tull

From: Dominik Wujastyk

Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 4:01 AM

To:

Subject: [INDOLOGY] No incoming Sanskrit students at Andhra University :-(

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Sanskrit-goes-defunct-at-Andhra-University/articleshow/9032252.cms