The Centre of Russian studies (CRS) is a well known Centre of Excellence for the study of Russian language, literature and culture, it was founded in 1965 as an independent Institute of Russian Studies. It became a part of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1969. The Centre has a five year integrated MA programme. Students have the option of a BA (Honours) degree at the end of the 6th semester (3rd year). Moreover, the Centre offers M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes in various aspects of Russian philology (literature and language) and Comparativistics. Apart from Practical Russian other courses include:
- Russian Literature (including 19th and 20th centuries and contemporary works),
- Linguistics (including theoretical courses in Phonetics and Lexicology),
- Translation and Interpretation,
- Folklore,
- Culture and civilization,
- Theory of Literature,
- Comparative literature,
- History of Literary Criticism.
These are conducted during the course of the programme. In the First two semesters the students are taught the language. From the third semester onwards, Russian is the medium of instruction for all core courses.
The Centre provides several Short-Term courses for the specific requirements of organizations. The Centre has a 15 booth Tandberg Language Laboratory and an excellent library of 60,000 books in Russian, including newspapers, journals and periodicals.
The founding of the Centre of Russian Studies gave a tremendous boost to the teaching of Russian language in India in the 1970s and 1980s. Today a large number of Indian universities and colleges have Russian departments or Russian language courses.
The CRS provided teachers and assisted in the formulation of syllabi and course structures in these institutions. Today the CRS alumni are placed all over India in various Universities and colleges as well as in the USA.
Centre qualified interpreters and translators are employed in Central Ministries of the Government of India, including The Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defense. Our alumni are working in Public and Private enterprises and many have set up their own business concerns with offices in Moscow, St.Petersburg and other towns of the CIS countries.
Credit requirement for BA in Russian is:
- Core Courses in Russian: 71 Credits
- Tool Courses:10 Credits (including 4 Credits from Courses RU 106 & RU112)
- Optional Courses: 22 Credits (offered by other Centres/Schools)
First Year
RU 101 -103 Practical Russian (Written): 6 credits
RU 104 -105 Practical Russian (Oral): 4 credits
RU 106 Culture and Civilization of Russia (Tool Course) (Oral): 2 credits
Second Semester
RU 107 -109 Practical Russian (Written): 6 credits
RU 110 -111 Practical Russian (Oral): 4 credits
RU 112 Culture and Civilization of Russia (Tool Course) (Oral): 2 credits
Second Year
RU 107-109 Practical Russian (Written): 6 credits
RU 110 -111 Practical Russian (Oral): 4 credits
Third Semester
RU 201-203 Practical Russian (Written): 9 credits
RU 204A Practical Russian (Oral): 3 credits
Fourth Semester
RU205 – 206 Practical Russian (Written): 6 credits
RU 207A Practical Russian (Oral): 3 credits
RU 208A Appreciation of Literature (Oral): 3 credits
Third Year
Fifth Semester
RU 301 – 302 Practical Russian (Written): 6 credits
RU 303A Practical Russian (Oral): 3 credits
RU 304A Introduction to Russian Literature (Oral): 3 credits
Sixth Semester
RU 305 Practical Russian (Written): 3credits
RU 306A Practical Russian (Oral): 3 credits
RU 307A Modern Russian Language: Phonetics (Oral): 3 credits
RU 308A Introduction to Soviet Literature (Oral): 3 credits
RU 309A Translation of Newspaper Materials (Russian to English and Vice Versa) (Written): 3 credits
COURSE STRUCTURE AND CREDITS OF MA (HONS) COURSE IN RUSSIAN
Fourth Year
Seventh Semester
RU 401 Practical Russian (Written): 4 credits
RU 402 Modern Russian Language: Lexicology (Written): 4 credits
RU 403A Introduction to Linguistic-1(Written): 4 credits
RU 404 Translation of Social Science Material (from Russian to English and Vice Versa) (Written): 4 credits
RU 405A 19th Century Russian Literature – 1 (Oral): 4 credits
Eighth Semester
RU 409 Practical Russian (Written) 4 credits
RU 410 Modern Russian Language: Morphology (Written) 4 credits
RU 411A Introduction to Linguistics-2(Written) 4 credits
RU 412A Translation of Scientific & Technical Materials (from Russian to English and Vice Versa) (Written) 4 credits
RU 413A 20TH Century russian Literature -2(Oral) 4 credits
Fifth Year
Ninth Semester
RU 501 Practical Russian (Written) 4 credits
RU 502 Modern Russian Language: Syntax (Oral) 4 credits
RU 503A Interpretation – 1 (Oral) 4 credits
RU 504A 20th Century Russian Literature – 1 (Oral) 4 credits
RU 505A Translation of Scientific & Technical Material (from Russian to English) (Written) 4 credits
OR
RU 506A Theory of Literature (Oral) 4 credits
Tenth Semester
RU 509 Practical Russian (Written) 4 credits
RU 511A Interpretation – 2 (Oral) 4 credits
RU 512A 20th Century Russian Literature – 1 (Oral) 4 credits
RU 513A Translation of Scientific & Technical Material- 3 (from Russian to English) (Written) 4 credits
OR
RU514A Folklore and Literature up to the end of the 18th century (Oral) 4 credits
RU514A Folklore and Literature up to the end of the 18th century (Oral) 4 credits
The aim of the M.Phil programme is to encourage independent research in the field of Russian language, literature and the theoretical aspects of translation.
A number of courses are offered at the M.Phil level and, depending on his or her field of specialization a student can choose any four courses each of which carries four credits.
These courses are offered in the first two semesters of the M.Phil programme. In the third and fourth semesters the students is expected to write his/her dissertation. If a student gets a CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 6.5 in the courses offered the student can bypass the thesis and apply for direct Ph.D.
Alternately, the student can write the dissertation which carries eight credits. If the CGPA is less than five (and of SC/ST students – four), the student will have to discontinue the M.Phil programme.
The following courses are offered for the M.Phil programme:
- RU 601Research Methodology: (4 credits)
- RU 602 Contrastive Grammar: (4 credits)
- RU603 Stylistics: (4 credits)
- RU 604 Language and Thought: (4 credits)
- RU 605 Advanced Course on Theory of Translation: (4 credits)
- RU 606 History of Literary Criticism: (4 credits)
- RU 610 Metodika of Teaching Russian: (4 credits)
- RU 607 Study of a Genre – Short Story in 19th century Russian Literature: (4 credits)
- RU 609 Comparative Literature: (4 credits)
- M.Phil Dissertation: (8 credits)
Ph.D. PROGRAMME
Students desiring to register for the Ph.D. Programme must have a CGPA of 6.5 in their M.Phil. or, if they are from another university, research work commensurate with a M.Phil.