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Dr. Desai has been very active in the sphere of higher education during the last about three and a half decades during which fourteen students have obtained doctorate degrees under his able guidance, including a few Jain Sadhvees. He has also authored more than hundred books so far covering as wide a field as criticism, research, Jain literature, biographies, novels, literature for children etc. In addition, he has contributed about ten books in English devoted to the Jain religion. He has been a recipient of many central and state government instituted literary awards so far. He has undertaken extensive tours abroad in the past few years for the propagation of the Jain religion and Jain philosophy of life. The countries he has visited so far include US, UK, Canada, Belgium, Singapore, Malaysia, Hongkong and Kenya. In the year 1993, Dr. Desai had addressed the World parliament of religions held at Chicago(US) and at Capetown in 1991 and delivered the Key-note address at the Jain Convention held at Pittzburg (US). Dr. Kumarpal Desai holds very important positions in various national and international organisations. Dr. Desai was awarded the ''All India Ten Outstanding Young Personalities of India'' by the All India Jaysees in the year 1980. The Jain Centre of Northern California had also awarded him the coveted ''Gaurav Puraskar'' the same year. He was also the recipient of the ''Shri Hemchandracharya Award'' instituted by seventeen Jain organisations of the U.K., as also the presidents special award instituted by 'Jaina' of the U.S., well as the ''Jain Ratna'' award instituted during the 2600th birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir which was given to him at the hands of the P.M. of India Shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The list of other awards he has won is too long to be mentioned briefly. Dr. Desai has been a reputed newspaper colummist, regularly contributing his column writings the daily newspapers in Gujarat and elsewhere. He is actively associated with the work of preparing and publishing the Gujarati Vishwakosh (a general purpose encyclopaedia), a monumental work that is being accomplished in Ahmedabad since 1985. Dr. Kumarpal Desai is presently the Dean of Arts faculty of the Gujarat University and also the Director of the Gujarat University School of Languages, Ahmedabad. ------------------------------------------ |
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