Lucknow, Jul 18 (IANS): The Academic Council of Lucknow University has approved the setting up of a new faculty by upgrading the status of Abhinavagupt Institute of Aesthetics and Shaiva Philosophy.

The council also approved new courses for next session.

The Abhinavagupt Institute of Aesthetics and Shaiva Philosophy, named after the philosopher, mystic, and aesthetician from Kashmir, was constituted in LU for research in Shaivism.

Till now, it was an autonomous institute, but now it will have faculty status. The institute will have more power and resources for teaching and research. It will run a full-fledged paper on Shaiva Philosophy and Aesthetics in MA (Sanskrit) course and conduct doctoral studies.

This is LU's eleventh faculty. Other faculties include arts, science, commerce, law, education, fine arts, engineering, Unani, Ayurveda and yoga, and alternative medicine.

The council also approved courses in B.Tech in Artificial intelligence in engineering faculty and B.Pharma and D.Pharma in the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.