prof. c. upender rao-profile

Prof. C. Upender Rao

Prof. Dr. C. Upender Rao, is now working as a Professor of Sanskrit and Pali in School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He was Chairperson of Centre for Sanskrit Studies at J N U. He was Visiting Professor on ICCR chair in Cambodia and was teaching in Buddhist University in Phnom Penh.

He completed Master of Arts and Master of Philosophy in Sanskrit and Master of arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Pali and Buddhist Studies. He had also completed the Bachelor of Education and Elementary and Advanced Certificate Course in Prakrit Language and Literature. He is holding Ph. D. from Department of Sanskrit of Osmania University, Hyderabad.

Prof. Rao has edited and authored 20 books. At present he is working on various Indological issues in south East Asia, mainly on Cambodia. He recently presented his paper in Vietnam on Indian Culture in Sanskrit inscriptions of Cambodia.  His recent (August, 2018) presentation on ‘Akshara purushottama philosophy’ in WAVES conference held in Dallas, USA was applauded by many scholars.

Prof. Rao has organized national and international conferences. In 2014 he organized a National Conference on ‘Pali and Indian Culture’. He has extensively written and published books in Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu and English languages. He received number of awards and certificates of honors from various institutions in India and abroad. He received the Kādambarī award from Akhila Bharateeya Vidvat Parishad, Kashi for his Sanskrit composition Vāngmaya Vallarī. He also received ‘Delhi Gaurav’ award, from Parvateeya Vikasa Samiti, Delhi, received the certificate of Appreciation from Rayal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Received the “Certificate for Dr. S. Radhakrishnan education excellence award” from Indian institute of oriental heritage, Kolkata in 2018 in New Delhi and He received three Gold medals from Osmania University and Banaras Hindu University for his outstanding ranks in education. He received ‘Vidya Sagar’ award from Institute of Oriental studies, Kolkata in 2015 and 2016. He published several articles and research papers.

Prof. Rao has specialized in Sanskrit and Pali. His research interests include Sanskrit literature and poetics, Early Buddhist literature and philosophy. He has an expertise in Teaching of Spoken Sanskrit language. Prof. Rao held various administrative positions. He was a General Fellow in I. C. P. R.  He was a Research Associate in I.U.C. situated at “Indian Institute of Advanced Study” Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. He is the member in Academic council in Rashtriya Sanskrit Sasnsthan, New Delhi, Banaras Hindu University and Osmania University and member of research experts committee in Lal bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapitha, New Delhi and other committees in India.   

He was a visiting professor in National University of Keiv Mohyla Academy, at Keiv in Ukrain, and L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana, Kazakhstan and taught Sanskrit language and Buddhist philosophy in these places. In the month of April, 2018 he delivered various speeches in Lithuania including his main speech in the annex of Lithuanian parliament. He taught Sanskrit in the month of June, 2018 in Hue Quang monastery of Hociminh city in Vietnam.

He was a member of translation group under Khyentse Foundation’s ‘Buddhist Literary heritage Project’, USA and translated the Buddhist Mahāyāna sūtra from Sanskrit into English. I. C. P. R.  New Delhi had granted a translation projects to him. Prof. C. Upender Rao has completed the U.G.C. Majour research project entitled Pali Śabda-kalpataruh (A concise Dictionary of Pali to Odia and Telugu languages). Recently his two small Sanskrit poems were translated into foreign languages.