The Department of Sanskrit, the first Post-graduate Department of Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra was established in 1956 as a unitary and residential university with the chief objective of promoting higher studies and research in Sanskrit, Indian Philosophy and religion, Indian History, Culture and Archaeology. The University was thus started as a Sanskrit University but within a couple of years grew into becoming a multi-faculty university. With the inclusion of Pali & Prakrit Studies, the Department was rechristened as the Department of Sanskrit, Pali & Prakrit in 1972 which at present imparts the M.A. Sanskrit (under semester system w.e.f. academic session 2008-2009), M.Phil. Sanskrit course w.e.f. 1976 (under annual system) and research at doctoral & post-doctoral research. It provides 4 groups of specialization, viz. Vedic Studies, Sanskrit Grammar & Linguistics, Indian Philosophy & Logic and Sanskrit Literature & Poetics at the M.A. and M.Phil. levels adapting the same to the UGC NET syllabus. The students of the department are exempted from tuition fee since the inception of the University. The Department is associated with a number of nationally and internationally reputed universities and centres of advance research in Sanskrit and allied fields through visiting faculty, special lectures, seminars and workshops with a view to synergize the classical and contemporary works in Sanskrit with modern methodology of learning and researches. The department has the rare privilege of having availed itself of the services of such nationally and internationally renowned scholars as Dr Satyavrat Shastri, Dr D.B. Sen Sharma, Dr Kapil Dev Shastri, Dr D.N. Shastri, Dr Shiv Raj Shastri, Dr Shriniwas Shastri, Dr Jag Dev Singh, Dr Suryakanta, Dr Baldeo Singh, Dr Gopikamohan Bhattacharya, Dr Maan Singh, Dr Parmanand Gupta, Dr Amar Singh, Dr Usha Rani Gupta and Dr Vijaya Rani, Dr. Bhim Singh, Dr. Arvind Kumar, Dr. Aruna Sharma, Dr. R.P. Mishra, Dr. S.M. Mishra etc.