The Central Sanskrit University has the unique distinction of being the largest and the only multi-campus language university in the world. The Central Sanskrit University also has the privilege of acting as the nodal agency for the implementation of Sanskrit related policies & schemes of the Government of India. In that capacity, the university works in close coordination with the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

The President of India is the Visitor of the University.
The Union Minister, Education Ministry, Government of India, is the Chancellor of the University.
Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi is the present Vice Chancellor of the University.

Sanskrit language and literature have not only played a vital role in the development of most of the languages in India and even abroad but has also laid the foundation of great Indian culture whose horizons stretch backwards to times immemorial in the hoary past. Even today, Sanskrit serves as a repository of the unique cultural heritage of ancient India. Not only this, Sanskrit has been the strongest and the most enduring force ensuring the unity of this great land of immense social, geographical and cultural diversity. Sanskrit is the most prominent source of soft power that India wields in the world today. Sanskrit also provides the theoretical foundation of ancient sciences.

Hence, preservation and propagation of Sanskrit language and literature assumes paramount importance for all-round development of India.

Fully conscious of this responsibility in this regard, the Govt. of India, in pursuance of the recommendations of the Sanskrit Commission (1956-57) constituted a Central Sanskrit Board, which recommended the establishment of a Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan. Accordingly, the Sansthan was established in 15th October, 1970 as an autonomous organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (Act XXI of 1860) for the development and promotion of Sanskrit all over the country and abroad. It was fully funded by Government of India and functioned as an apex body for propagation and development of Sanskrit and assisted the Ministry of Human Resource Development in formulating and implementing various plans and schemes for the development of Sanskrit studies. It also assumed the role of a nodal body for the effective implementation of various recommendations made by the Sanskrit Commission set up by the Government of India, Ministry of Education in 1956 to consider the propagation and development of Sanskrit language and education in all its aspects. The Sansthan was fully financed by the Government of India and works as a vital agency of the Central Government under the aegis of Ministry of Education / Ministry of Human Resource Development.

In the subsequent decades, in pursuit of its mandate, the Sansthan went on to establish 12 campuses at various locations in the country and its headquarters in New Delhi, with facilities for teaching of Sanskrit language and literature from Class 6 to 9, +2, +3 Shastri (BA/ Graduation), Acharya (MA/Post graduation) and Vidyavaridhi (Ph.D/Postgraduation). Such was the level of excellence of these campuses that, in due course of time, two of its campuses, namely, LBS Kendrya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth at New Delhi, and Kendriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha at Tirupati, were declared to be Deemed Universities.