President: Prof. Satya Prakash Sharma
Professor Satya Prakash Sharma is a former Professor and Head, Department of Sanskrit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Along with Sanskrit he has profound knowledge and research experience in Pali and Prakrit as well. His deep academic interest in Vedic literature and commitment to scholarly research have inspired him to study ancient texts with a comprehensive understanding of Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit. Prof. Sharma has authored four books on Pali canonical literature, one on Pali prosody, and another on Pali Abhidhamma philosophy. He has also published accessible explanatory books. Among his notable works is the widely acclaimed Pali grammar book “Saddaniti.” His numerous articles on Pali and Buddhist philosophy are a testament to his scholarship. He has made noteworthy contributions to the fields of Sanskrit and Prakrit as well. Presently, Prof. Sharma is associated in the capacity of Chairman of the Board for the Development of Prakrit Language.
Vice President: Prof. Baidyanath Labh
A luminary scholar of Buddhist Studies in India and abroad. Presently holding the post of Vice Chancellor of Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh as well as Chairman of Pali Development Board. Earlier, he served Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda (Bihar) and Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh as Vice Chancellor. Both of these institutes are under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. He has to his credit publication of over 100 articles and 28 books on Buddhism and Indology.
Vice President: Dr. Lalit Gupta
Dr. Lalit Gupta is an art & cultural historian. He is a Museology and History of Art postgraduate from the faculty of fine arts, M.S. University, Baroda, India. His doctorate is on the “Buddhist Art and Architecture of Western Himalayas with Special reference to Jammu Shivaliks”. He taught art history at the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, Institutes of Music and Fine Arts (IMFA), University of Jammu. He has authored a book on the ‘Intangible Heritage of Jammu’. His research assignments include as Senior Consultant for ICHR’s exhibition “Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh through the Ages” (2024), and Project Director of ICHR’s project on the ‘Place Names of Jammu’, Ministry of Culture’s Senior Fellowship for a ‘Directory of Artistic and Cultural Sites of Jammu’ and Documentation of ‘Sacred Springs of Jammu’ for J&K Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages. He has also scripted/directed documentaries on the art heritage of Jammu for the Archaeological Survey of India, Department of Culture and India’s official TV Channel, Doordarshan.
Secretary: Prof. Saswati Mutsuddy
Prof. Saswati Mutsuddy is a Professor and Head in the Department of Pali, University of Calcutta, and Convener of the PhD
Research Advisory Committee. With over two decades of academic service, she has made significant contributions to Pali
literature, Buddhist studies, and education. A recipient of prestigious awards and fellowships like Jawaharlal Nehru
Scholarship for Doctoral Studies (1998), UGC National Eligibility Test for Junior Research and Fellowship & Lectureship
(1998-2001). She has delivered lectures in India and abroad, chaired academic sessions, and guided numerous PhD scholars.
Dr. Mutsuddy is associated with several national and international academic bodies and currently she is the Vice president
of Mahabodhi Society of India and Secretary, Indian Society for Buddhist Studies, Jammu.
She is the Member of Academic Councils of Sanchi University of Buddhist Indic Studies, Tripura University;
Board Member, Departmental Research Committee, The Sanskrit College University, Kolkata; Life Member: The Asiatic
Society, Indian Philosophical Congress, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, and several other prestigious bodies.
Joint Secretary: Dr. Pradeep Kumar Das
Dr. Pradeep Kumar Das is working as Associate Professor at Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (Deemed to be University), Ministry of Culture, Govt of India, Nalanda (Bihar). Dr. Das spent more than thirty years in Leh (Ladakh) by engaging himself in various academic works in various capacities. He worked as Assistant Professor at Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (Deemed to be University), Ministry of Culture, Govt of India, Leh (Ladakh) for more than ten years. He authored a book on Ladakh titled ENSIGHT LADAKH in 2009.He edited the Encyclopedia of Himalayan Buddhist Culture, Vol.2 (Ladakh), part I and part II in 2011 and 2012. Dr. Das has edited four books on Buddhism in Ladakh. More than 110 research articles have been published in various books and journals under his authorship. He attended more than thirty national and international seminars in the country. Four research scholars have successfully been awarded Ph.D. degree under his supervision.
Joint Secretary: Dr. Santosh Priyadarshi
Dr. Santosh Priyadarshi, Assistant Professor, School of International Studies, and Head, Department of Buddhist Philosophy,
Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies is a Post-graduate and Ph.D. in Pali and Buddhist Studies from BHU, Varanasi.
He qualified UGC- JRF in triple subjects viz.Pali, Baudha-Jain-Gandhi and Peace Studies as well as Comparative Study of
Religions. Prior to joining Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, Sanchi, Raisen, M.P., he was engaged as
(Dr. S. Radhakrishnan) Post-Doctoral Fellow-UGC, New Delhi. He has more than ten years of Administrative, academic,
research experience and is well versed in Brahmi, Sharada, Nagari, Nevari, Dev-Nagari and Roman scripts.
He has published more than thirty research papers in coveted journals. He has presented more than forty research
papers in the prestigious National and International conferences. Dr. Priyadarshi is an active member of various
professional bodies including Epigraphical Society of India, Mysore and Indian Society for Buddhist Studies, Jammu.
His areas of specialization are Pali and Buddhist Studies (Abhidhamma Philosophy), Mahayana Buddhism, Buddhist Sanskrit
Literature and Buddhist Philosophy. Four research scholars have successfully been awarded Ph.D. degree under his supervision.
Treasurer: Dr. Suresh Kumar
Born and brought up in Jammu and Kashmir, India Dr. Suresh Kumar is presently working as Assistant Professor, Department of Buddhist Studies, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda (Bihar). Earlier he served as Assistant Director (Research) in Indian Council of Historical Research- An autonomous organization under Ministry of Education, Government of India. He had also been nominated a Member of State Advisory Board for the Development of Pahari Speaking People by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir (2014-18).
In his academic endeavor, he has attended and presented papers in more than 70 national and international seminars/conferences in India and abroad so far and has the credit of publishing one book entitled Buddhist Ethics: Relevance and Impact on Contemporary Society and 27 Research papers in the journals of international repute. He has done his PhD and Master Degree in Buddhist Studies and Master Degree in Physics from University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, India. His areas of research and teaching are Pali language and literature, Buddhist Ethics, and Comparative Religion (Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam).
Dr. Suresh has been honoured with Dadhi Mahanta Memorial Social Science Research National Award (2021), Student Pride Award (2013), Cultural Secretary Award (2008), Vice-Chancellor award (Jammu University; 2003) and Commendation Certificate Class-I (Police Head Quarters, Rajouri-Poonch Range, 2003) for his excellence in services rendered through Culture, NSS, Sports, Social Service with exemplary dedication and commitment to strengthen communal harmony, integrate society through youth in the larger interest of nation.
Dr. Suresh has the credit of qualifying the UGC Junior Research Fellowship and National Eligibility Test (JRF-NET) in 2009 on his first attempt. He holds the distinction of being the first student from the Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Jammu, to be awarded this prestigious fellowship since the department's inception. This achievement reflects his strong academic foundation and commitment to scholarly excellence in the field of Buddhist Studies.
Dr. Suresh is also associated with many academic and social organizations. He is well-known for his writings and speeches on the contemporary issues. He has good experience in the field of research, administration, teaching and journalism.