Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Kumar Rana currently serves as the Principal at Srimati Laddevi Sharma Pancholi Adarsh Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Barundani, Rajasthan. With a robust academic foundation, Dr. Rana was awarded a Ph.D. in 1992 from Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, where he conducted a critical study of the “Bhasyaratnaprabhatika Dipika on Brahmasutra Shankarabhashya.” His educational journey includes an M.A. in Sanskrit from the University of Delhi and degrees in Ad. Vedanta and B.A. (Shastri) from Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan.
Dr. Rana’s career began in 1988 as a Research Fellow at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi. Over the years, he held several positions, advancing to Research Officer and Assistant Director at the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), Department of Culture, Government of India. From 2009 to 2020, he was the Director of CIF Shodha Sansthan in Ernakulam, Kerala. In his current role as Principal, he oversees academic and administrative functions, formulates budgets, and supervises research activities.
Throughout his tenure at IGNCA, Dr. Rana contributed significantly to manuscript cataloging, developing standard formats for descriptive and tabular catalogues, and computerizing microfilmed manuscripts. At NMM, he played a pivotal role in training scholars and students in manuscriptology, aiding in the establishment and management of 85 Manuscript Resource Centres across India, and developing the national software e-granthavali.
His research interests span over 34 years, focusing on critical editing of manuscripts, particularly in Advaita Vedanta. Dr. Rana has critically edited numerous texts and has several publications to his name, including research articles and contributions to books and journals. He has also edited and published numerous books and journals at CIFSS.
Dr. Rana has actively participated in and organized numerous workshops and seminars on manuscriptology, contributing to the field through extensive training programs and scholarly discourse. He has attended international conferences and delivered lectures across various prestigious institutions.
Proficient in multiple languages including Sanskrit, Hindi, Oriya, and English, His dedication to Sanskrit and manuscript studies is evident in his lifelong commitment to education, research, and the promotion of Sanskrit as a spoken language. Dr. Rana has also been involved in various social and cultural activities, sports.