The Department of Foundation and Cultural Courses, which was started in 1978, for awakening popular interest in Indian religious classics, culture, philosophy, literature, art, science, technology and medicine.
The following are the correspondence courses conducted :
1. Bharatiya Vidya Visharada
Presenting India's heritge of religion, culture, philosophy, science, technology and medicine in ten well-defined units comprehensively and critically against modern knowledge.
2. Bhagavad Gita Visharada
The course presents the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita comprehensively and critically studied in the light of extensive literature on it, ancient and modern.
3. Sanskrit Bhasha Visharada
A comprehensive course for adult learners wishing to use the Sanskrit language as support for their advanced comparative studies for spiritual pursuits, for literature, art and other studies and also for its own sake.
4. Upanishad Visharada
Presenting the Upanishads and Upanishadic literature, ancient and modern, in their cosmological, psychological, ethical, metaphysical, scientific and literary aspects.
5. Subhashita-Sudha (Short Term Course)
A collection of Subhashitas, 'Moral Maxims', prepared with a view to encouraging children of not more than 12 years to learn by heart some easy and yet meaningful sayings in Sanskrit. It seeks thereby to impress on their minds noble thoughts of older generations about ethical values, the richness of Sanskrit language and the nature of life's experiences.
The duration of each Visharada course is two years.