Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, and Zoroastrian Studies in 2026: Comparative Religion at Indian Universities
Four traditions, four reading lists, one academic field. Buddhist, Jain, Sikh and Zoroastrian studies in India are usually taught inside comparative religion programmes, where students read across traditions instead of inside one.
Nalanda University's School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions runs a two-year MA and a PhD. The 2026-27 admission requires 55% or 2.2/4.0 GPA in the undergraduate degree. The curriculum covers Buddhist, Jain and Hindu philosophical systems and the text-based study of Asian religious traditions. Punjabi University Patiala houses departments in Sikh studies and Guru Nanak studies, and Mumbai universities collaborate with Parsi institutions on Zoroastrian research.
The discipline is built around texts, not theology.
Students read the Pali Canon, the Jain Agamas, the Guru Granth Sahib and the Avesta the way a literature student reads Homer. The work is critical and historical.
UGC NET Comparative Study of Religions covers all four traditions across its syllabus, clearing candidates for Assistant Professor and JRF positions. UPSC Philosophy optional Paper I covers Buddhist and Jain philosophy across 250 marks. Other graduates work in heritage research, museum curation, publishing and NGO policy where religious literacy matters.
Nalanda University admits students from 30 plus countries and offers full scholarships to Indian and international candidates each cycle.
If the field interests you, start with a survey textbook on Indian religions before picking a tradition to specialise in. Reading three traditions side by side teaches more than reading one in isolation. A student of Buddhist logic who has also read the Jain theory of knowledge sees both traditions more clearly than a student who has read only one. Comparative religion rewards patience and slow, careful reading more than any other humanities discipline in India. The reading is the work, and the work is the career.