SarDesai Essay Competition

D. R. SarDesai

D. R. SarDesai

The Yadunandan Center for India Studies, in conjunction with the College of Liberal Arts at California State University, Long Beach and prominent members of the Indian community in Southern California, joined together to honor renowned scholar and author, Dr. D.R. SarDesai. The event entitled An Afternoon with D.R. SarDesai was held on Sunday, December 16, 2007 in the Pointe at the CSULB Walter Pyramid. The gala marked the creation of the prestigious SarDesai Prize which will honor those students that help to promote an interest in Indian culture.

All net proceeds from the fundraising event benefited the creation of the endowed prize and will enable the Yadunandan Center for India Studies to award the winner of an annual essay competition. The competition will be based on a preannounced topic open to undergraduate students from colleges and universities from San Diego to Santa Barbara in order to promote an interest in India among the younger generation. The annual essay competition will create a significant difference in the understanding of India among Southern Californians. If you would like to make a donation to the SarDesai Prize, please contact Kevin Crowe, Director of Development for the College of Liberal Arts at kcrowe2@csulb.edu.

Established in 2005, the Yadunandan Center for India Studies champions the study of India’s cultures, peoples and history. The first center of its kind in California, it promotes the study of India through social sciences, humanities, arts, education and other academic disciplines. It provides interdisciplinary study and critical analysis of the Indian subcontinent and its peoples from ancient times to the present. The Center’s curriculum, programs and activities are designed to build bridges within the large, diverse Indian American community in Southern California and beyond.