LUCKNOW, Sept. 30 -- Despite a low student turnout for several years the historic Oriental language departments at Lucknow University continue to operate driven by a century-old founding pledge to preserve classical heritage not primarily for monetary benefit but to impart training in literature, culture and heritage.

Founded in 1864 under Canning College before Lucknow University's 1920 establishment, the department of Oriental studies in Sanskrit and the department of Oriental Arabic and Persian are the university's oldest divisions.

The Oriental Sanskrit department maintained small specialised batches: the Shastri programme enrolled eight in ( academic session 2024-25), nine in (2025-26), and eight students in (2026-27), while the Ac...