Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS) is located at Sarnath in Varanasi. Established in 1967, this institute was envisioned by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in consultation with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with a view to educate the youths of Tibet and the Himalayan border region.
Initially it functioned as a special constituent wing of Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya and later attained the autonomous status in 1977 and today it is a Deemed Univeristy. The institute offers a 9 years integrated course from Madhyama to Acharya through 5 faculties. A premier research institute, the university has a number of research scholars.
