History
The history of the Pali and Buddhism department reveals that there was no system of higher education in Marathwada until 1950. However, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar addressed this by establishing Milind College in Marathwada, thus providing access to higher education. In 1962, the university introduced postgraduate education in the Pali language, following the foundation laid at Milind College. Dr. Ambedkar's efforts had historical significance.
At the 1954 Rangoon Conference, he mentioned that he had established Milind College along the route to Ajanta and Ellora. Milind, a renowned philosopher and intellectual king in Pali literature, held great significance, as did Buddha's disciple, Bavari, who lived in Pratishtana on the banks of the Godavari River. Due to these historical associations, Dr. Ambedkar emphasized the need for the university to promote the study and research of Pali language and literature. Consequently, the establishment of a department of Pali and Buddhism was proposed for this purpose.
The demand for the establishment of the Department of Pali and Buddhism was historically significant. As a result, in 1973, during the tenure of Vice-Chancellor R. P. Nath, the department was inaugurated at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Arts and Commerce, Nagsenvan, Aurangabad. The first in-charge head of the department was Prof. Dr. Ramteke. Alongside him were Dr. Seshrao Meshram, Prof. Dr. Ganveer, and Prof. Sushila Mool-Jadhav.
On January 1, 1995, Dr. Seshrao Meshram became the head of the department. At that time, postgraduate Pali classes were conducted at Milind Arts College. After Dr. Meshram's passing, Prof. Sushila Mool-Jadhav was appointed as the Head of Department, serving until her retirement on October 30, 1999. Subsequently, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Shivaji Nakade appointed Dr. Kurhade as the in-charge head of the department. During this time, the department began operating on a temporary basis at the university from November 15, 1999.
Starting from 21st October 2003, this department began functioning regularly on the university campus. On 1st July 2008, Dr. Manish Anand was appointed as an Assistant Professor. Both regular professors of the department have since retired, and since 18th March, 2024, Dr. Shashank Sonwane serves as the in-charge head of the department.