Notices served on Sanskrit scholars raise heckles

Academic fraternity expresses anger for not considering the body of work of experts

A move to recover “dues” from two elderly Sanskrit scholars of international repute has drawn ire from the academic fraternity. Many have expressed anger for not considering their body of work before notices were served by officials of the Registrar of Societies. Ninety-eight-year-old K.S. Varadacharya, a renowned scholar of Vedanta, Pracheena Nyaya, and Naveena Nyaya, and octogenarian H.V. Nagaraja Rao, an authority in Sanskrit grammar, Yoga Sutras, and poetics, are among the 11 scholars, earlier associated with the Academy of Sanskrit Research at Melkote, to have received notices to recover the honorarium that was drawn during their tenure with the academy. Sources said that five of 11 persons are already dead. The notice, a copy which is with The Hindu, has been served from the office of the Mandya District Registrar of Societies, seeking dues of ₹5.16 lakh from Mr. Varadacharya, who was the project leader, and ₹55,654 from Mr. Rao, who was an editor at the academy. Both are recipients of the President’s award for their academic contribution. Another senior scholar, A. Varadachar, has received notice for recovery of ₹2.82 lakh.