New Delhi: ‘Why India has more temples than palaces’, ‘Significance of architecture in Ramayana and Mahabharata’, and ‘Ancient cities of the Indus Saraswati region’ – these are some of the topics students are encouraged to study now to include of Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
The University Grants Commission (UGC), in a draft titled ‘Guidelines for Incorporating Indian Knowledge into Higher Education Curriculum’, released on April 13, has laid down the topics and norms based on which institutions can prepare and provide a curriculum on IKS. need to.
Inclusion of Indian knowledge system at all levels of education is one of the principles of the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
In addition, students will now also study Indian Maths-Numbers, Fractions, Geometry, Decimal Nomenclature VedasAncient Indian System of Surgery, Ancient Astronomy and Sanskrit.
“The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) has developed in our country over thousands of years and has been passed down from generation to generation. IKS has become an integral part of Indian civilization and culture. Indians have developed knowledge of mathematics, medicine, metallurgy, law, astronomy Has contributed widely to various disciplines of knowledge like science, language and literature, economics, social science etc.
“Exposure to IKS in school and university level education will help our students to recognize that India has been a knowledge society for millennia,” he added.
Indian Astronomy, Ayurveda, Vedic Mathematics
The guidelines include 18 core courses and 19 elective courses.
As per the draft guidelines, every student enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate program will be encouraged to take credit courses at IKS, which will be at least five per cent of the total compulsory credits.
Also, at least 50 per cent of the credits allotted to IKS should be related to the major discipline, which means that a student pursuing a degree in architecture can pursue the course ‘Indian Architecture and Town Planning’.
According to the draft, in the subject titled ‘Indian Architecture and Town Planning’, students will study topics such as the spread of High Indian architecture in almost all parts of India, except the Gangetic plains, examples of High Indian architecture from ancient and medieval times Different parts of India, construction of Jaipur in 18th century, how temple art and architecture flourished in modern India.
Basic courses have subjects like study Vedang – Six subsidiary disciplines of Hinduism developed for a better understanding of the four Vedas – In the chapter titled ‘Basic Literature of Indian Civilization’. Another sub-chapter under this, ‘Indian Linguistics’, will teach students about linguistics and the preservation of the Vedic corpus.
There is a chapter on ‘Indian Astronomy’ about which the students will be taught Star (constellation) and Planet (Grah), while as part of ‘Indian Health Science’, students will gain knowledge of ancient surgical methods and basic concepts of Ayurveda.
The IKS mandate also requires HEI faculty to share the life and work of contemporary scholars and innovators who have made significant contributions in their fields using IKS.
To connect with the oral tradition of IKS, teachers need to include a practical session on the ancient technique of memorization with some examples from primary lessons, in addition to introducing intensive sessions on yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, classical music, Indian crafts . traditions, etc.
“UGC has recently introduced IKS in UGC-NET to encourage students to pursue doctoral research in IKS. Such research endeavors will help our students to connect IKS with contemporary knowledge advances to develop new approaches to address current challenges.”
(Editing by Anumeha Saxena)