Indian Catholic Priest Chosen Convener for Section at World Sanskrit Meet

(September 12, 2009) Jesuit Father Noel Sheth, an international scholar in Sanskrit and Pali, a Prakrit language, has earned a unique distinction of being chosen as the only Indian chief chairperson for a Subject Section at the 14th World Sanskrit Conference hosted by the University of Kyoto, Japan, September 1-5. One among 500 persons from 37 countries to participate in the conference, Sheth, through his scholarly publications in exegesis and comparative theology and philosophy, has made a valuable contribution to inter-religious dialogue and mutual enrichment of religions. There were a total of 15 subject sections like the Vedas, Linguistics, Scientific Literature, Philosophy, etc., at the Kyoto conference this year. Sheth is a professor of Indian philosophies and religions at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Religion, Pune, Maharashtra state. He was a former rector of the Papal Seminary, Pune. He secured a first class in his M.A. (Sanskrit-Pali) from the University of Pune and has won several prizes and scholarships. Sheth holds a doctorate in Sanskrit from Harvard University, USA. At present, he is one of the five vice-presidents (one for each continent) of the Conference of Catholic University Institutions of Philosophy. He is in charge of Asia and Oceania. In India, Sanskrit and Prakrits are the preserve of Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Christians in the country are often considered as foreigners who are not in the mainstream of Indian life and culture.