It was for the Ramcharitmanas, the 16th-century spiritual epic by Tulsidas. The Tulsi Jayanti Awards, usually held in Gujarat, made their global debut at Sanders Theatre. Professors from Berkeley, Columbia, UT Austin and even Osaka University were honored; not for research papers on AI or GDP, but for keeping Tulsidas’s message of truth, love, and compassion alive across cultures. Why does this matter? Because while India’s youth chase government jobs and competitive exams, global academia is quietly honoring the spiritual roots that shaped our civilization. Harvard didn’t just host a ceremony; it signaled that India’s literary and devotional heritage still holds world-class academic value. And maybe, just maybe, that’s something our education system should remember too.