IKS for Global Futures, National Integrity, and Individual Well-Being

Śrī gurubhyo namaha!

The Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, defines the concept of IKS, its cognition, and acquisition as -

Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) comprise jñāna, vijñāna, and jīvana darśana, that have evolved out of experience, observation, experimentation, and rigorous analysis. This tradition of validating and putting into practice has impacted our education, arts, administration, law, justice, health, manufacturing, and commerce etc.

We can solve a lot of humanity’s problems by knowing what is useful, knowing how to collaborate with one another, utilizing this information, and by knowing the pedagogy for its intergenerational transfer. When we learn how to use the data presented, it becomes knowledge, and when we know the why of the knowledge, it transforms into wisdom. Applying this wisdom to our daily lives to help solve our problems makes it a system that is at once imperative to global futures, to national integrity, and also individual well-being.

The world today is caught between two distinct worldviews: the collectivistic and the individualistic. With the former almost disappearing, we are witnessing a multi-crisis phenomenon with the individual facing loneliness and emptiness in every sphere of life. This epidemic is continuously being fuelled by the current social media culture, with its constant need for stimulation as well as external validation. The unfortunate outcome is the moral sanctioning of material indulgence even among traditional groups, who are now disregarding all else while encouraging self-centered fulfillment of individual’s needs. There is also a quick dismissal of even the core Hindu concept of consciousness, creating a forced break from the rest of the cosmos. Stress, depression, and anxiety, has increased globally due to being wired at all times; a smartphone always in hand, social media pressures, WhatsApp work loads. In India alone almost 50 million suffer from depression or crippling anxiety. This is the direct consequence of elevating human desire above all else, displacing the human from the cultural context of tradition that previously provided both stability and freedom. Globally, our current education system panders to this disturbing state of affairs, adding fuel to fire.

On the other hand, “The term ‘jñāna’ denotes a state of unbounded joy attained through embodied knowledge of ‘sat’. It is a state where our intellect is immersed in the ultimate state of happiness”, says Prof. Mohan Raghavan in his book Elements of Indian Knowledge Systems & Heritage. In Bhārata, knowledge is seen not only as the source of skills and material abundance but is also considered primarily as a means to self actualize and know oneself. This distinct metaphysics has had a long-standing cultural praxis; but sadly, coloniality and continued apathy towards our knowledge traditions has cut us off from accessing it.

IKS was always preserved and transferred via guru-śiṣya paramparā as well as via vṛddha vyavahāra. Unfortunately, neither our civilizational history nor traditional education i.e., Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) has been given its due thus far. This scenario is slowly changing with the onset of the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020.

Currently in India, we have 1000+ universities with an average enrollment of 8,112 students per institution. There is also unemployment among youth as well as under-employment. If one of the major outcomes of modern education ought to be youth who are competent and skilled with successful careers, and if that is not happening, then we are evidently going wrong somewhere. With outdated curriculums and sub-par skills which lag behind industrial requirements, there is a looming gap between theory and practice.

Above all we are lacking our own worldview in education which focuses on the holistic development of a person. By uprooting the teacher and temple from the center of our day-to-day universe and replacing them with redundant administrative machinery, Macaulay and the British overlords have indeed achieved what they set out to do, i.e., producing desacralized, deracinated, unquestioning sepoys and clerks, who do not hesitate to do their master’s bidding.

Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) to the Rescue

An article by the World Bank titled, “The Education Crisis: Being in School is not Learning”, says that the jobs of the future will require students to be able to interpret information, to form opinions, to be creative and to communicate well. A sound, stable, and sharp mind is what everyone is looking for. And this is exactly what IKS offers. Through inbuilt cultural mechanisms for regular sensory and mental regulation, via refinement of internal subjectivity, through rigorous intellectual training that allows self-reflexivity of one’s thoughts, words and deeds, through the path of dharma, it is seen as possible to evolve into a wholesome human being.

The cultivation of these aesthetic, socio-cultural, psychological, political and spiritual intelligences through the study of śāstras (Arthaśāstra, Nyāyaśāstra, Dharmaśāstra, Nāṭyaśāstra, Aṣṭādhyāyī, Yogasūtra, etc.) enables us to become well-rounded, mature individuals.

A sustainable ecosystem anchored in such a dhārmika worldview is the answer not only to the global crises, but to all our questions on knowledge, culture, nature, and well-being. This is made possible when there is epistemic diversity; where everyone is allowed to think freely and to be who they are, something we see commonly in India. The building blocks that make such a dhārmika IKS ecosystem are:

Dharma, the sustainable core;
Dṛṣṭi: the discerning gaze;
Diśā: the wise direction that emerges.

From this worldview we conceptualize a system within the pañcakośa framework - a five-sheathed model - wherein each component draws its strength from the sacred core and is deeply intertwined with the other.

The industry is the annamaya kośa with its economic resources that must create dhārmika careers for the young people, thereby helping realize their potential. It is here that maximum empathy is needed and where much of our future work lies. It is for the industry to see the value in and absorb human resources trained in śāstra, for the undoubted ethical and cultural value they will bring to their companies, apart from their intellectual brilliance.

Public policy is the prāṇamaya kośa, where the central goal must be to reorient the role of the State from being a dispenser of benefits to an enabler of potential, as an enabler of the catura-vidha puruṣārthas. These are the four goals of every individual from financial security, to rightful pleasures, to righteous living, and finally freedom in the here-and-now. The last goal being especially significant, as it is not available in the Abrahamic orders.

Cultural Interlocutors form the manomaya kośa. It represents various traditional cultural institutions such as the gurukulas, kṣetras, and maṭhas. These are the institutions that strive to ensure that there is never a gap between the metaphysics of a civilization and the culture that permeates her society. From one of the pioneers in the field - INDICA - to UpWord, to Prachyam, to Bṛhat, are seeing many such organizations emerge, eager in bridging this gap.

Academic Leadership, the vijñānamaya kośa, governs discernment and philosophical thinking. Academia must endeavor to dialogue with parents as well as students, to help them understand what IKS means and the welcoming outcomes that it promises. It must design electives, pedagogies, and competencies, with deep empathy for the learners. IKS Centers for Excellence (CoE-IKS) at premier higher education institutions such as IIT Madras, Chanakya University, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Mandi, and The Department of Heritage Science & Technology, IIT Hyderabad are doing just that; helping in the preservation and development of tangible and intangible Indian heritage assets.

The ānandamaya kośa, is the sacred core that is self-illumining. It is the seat of the highest consciousness, joy, harmony and integration. Through the actions of the 4 stakeholders (Industry, Policy, Cultural Interlocutors, Academic Leadership) the emergent IKS ecosystem must endeavor to offer collective service for an India that is self-sufficient, that generates surplus for universal well-being, and recognizes what its living traditions have to offer.

भद्रायां सुमतौ यतेम |

ऋग्वेद (६।१।१०)

Let us strive for the wisdom that leads to the welfare of all

Of the five stakeholders in IKS as described above, public policy is the one that is mostly in place. Established in 2020 under the Ministry of Education (MoE) with a vision to promote interdisciplinary research on all aspects of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), and to preserve and disseminate IKS for further research and societal application, the IKS Division at MoE has its work cut out for the next few years.

27 IKS Research Centers, 7 Bharatiya Bhasha Centers, and 17 IKS Teacher Training Centers have been established thus far. 88 Research Projects; 18 Direct courses, 14 Partnered Courses, 4 long-form Documentaries, and 73 IKS-based Institutional Internships have been initiated. Along with the incentivization of Yoga-based initiatives and Mission Partnerships, a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, and a National Manuscript Mission have also been set up. It is commendable to see the kind of work that the IKS Division has managed to pull off in just under four years.

What is IKS?

IKS is an umbrella word for all the indigenous knowledge systems that have sprung from the soil of the Indian subcontinent. All of them recognize consciousness as the essence of everyone, fostering integral unity and one-ness. IKS is a body of knowledge that has always been universal - applicable by all for the benefit of all. We therefore understand and term IKS as the Universal Episteme. The National Educational Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) recommends the incorporation of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) into the curriculum at all levels of education. But how can the Indian Knowledge Systems gain a deeper foothold and contribute meaningfully to young minds across the globe? Some of the answers lie in reconceptualizing disciplines from the IKS lens, enabling interdisciplinary research, scaling curriculum development efforts, and wholeheartedly supporting innovation in IKS.

The Bhāratīya education system has produced great scholars such as Caraka, Suśruta, Āryabhaṭṭa, Varāhamihira, Bhāskarācārya, Brahmagupta, Cāṇakya, Cakrapāṇī Datta, Mādhava, Pāṇini, Patañjali, Nāgārjuna, Gautama, Piṅgaḷa, Śankardeva, Maitreyī, Gārgī, Tiruvaḷḷuvar, among numerous others. All of them have made seminal contributions to world knowledge in diverse fields such as mathematics, astronomy, metallurgy, medical science and surgery, civil engineering, architecture, shipbuilding and navigation, yoga, fine arts, chess, and more. Learning about them, as well as learning systematically what they have to offer, is the only way to document and disseminate such a vast body of knowledge.

The latest guidelines from the University Grants Commission (UGC) propose that at least 5% of Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) credits should be dedicated to IKS courses. Using authentic historical sources, highlighting the unique features, and contemporary applications of IKS, the direction is veering towards teaching them in regional languages. This is a welcome effort that will reap rich dividends if adhered to with sincerity.

So what are the Challenges for IKS implementation?

Dr. Varada Sambhus, Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi contends that -

There is a lot of vagueness regarding the definition of IKS. Secondly, I work in the area of the Vārkarī sampradāya and Bhakti traditions where the knowledge of Saṃskṛta is very important but so is the knowledge of Marāṭhī, and local cultures. However, our schools do not really teach them. Interdisciplinarity has been lost for about 200 years or more, particularly after British education. The third challenge I think is the extreme views. The critics simply discard the idea of IKS and consider it only as propaganda while on the other hand, some of those who celebrate IKS go to a great extent to make IKS sound unscientific, bringing in irrelevant issues from the past.

While the definition of IKS has since been clarified and detailed, the need for an interdisciplinary approach in IKS is very much felt in all quarters. The propensity to go overboard either for or against IKS without considering all the factors involved rationally must also be dealt with by the Ministry of Education firmly.

Meanwhile Neha Sharma, Research Scholar in the Department of English & Other European Languages at Dr. Harisingh Gaur Vishvavidyalay, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh rues the fact that:

There is a dearth of qualified faculty to deliver IKS training. A lot of people who claim to be experts of bhāratīya jñana paramparā mostly quote information from social media. Students who are willing to pursue their PhD are not encouraged to pursue research in IKS, as there seems to be a lack of motivation, probably because of lack of good faculty.

With Faculty Development Programs (FDP) being the core focus of the IKS Division in the coming academic years, it is hoped that this lacuna is stemmed with legitimate and certified training.

While the academics definitely have to up their game, parents who are equal stakeholders in this IKS discourse cannot shrug off their responsibility and lay the burden of IKS teaching solely on the teachers. As the Principal of Sri Aurobindo International School, Hyderabad, Dr. Chhalamayi Reddy points out -

Parents need to take greater ownership of bringing up their children by first informing and educating themselves regarding the great spiritual and cultural heritage of Bhārata.

In his article titled, “A Ringside view of the Knowledge Circus”, author Rahul Goswami describes the sheer nonchalance with which organizers of even esteemed institutions approach conferences in the IKS domain. He condemns outright how the Indian universities blindly discuss utilizing Indian Knowledge Systems for the UN’s SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) without understanding how either worldview actually defines the term itself. He expresses deep concern over how traditional knowledge systems, which are actually ancient living traditions, are being drafted in the service of goals which emerge from an alien worldview. He asks -

Do we only want to do a half-job of fitting IKS into modern curricula? Or do we want to truly understand this episteme and reconceptualize how we look at education itself, in its light?

In the Indian Express article, “Why NEP Implementation has been a Failure”, Debraj Mookerjee, Reader at Ramjas College, Delhi, raises concerns regarding the operationalization of the IKS policy; such as an interoperable credit-based system leading to dilution in domain specific education, truncation in content being taught, the burden of continuous assessments etc. He points out the need to reflect on the purpose of higher education and design universities that facilitate students to become producers of knowledge.

As a critique to this stance, Śrīi Anurag Shukla, Director, Policy-Education, Bṛhat, says:

his critique is significant as it underscores the potential loss of depth in academic content. However, the credit-based system is intended to offer flexibility and mobility for students, allowing them to tailor their education to their interests and career goals. The proliferation of multidisciplinary and value-added courses might detract from the depth of study in the core subject. Yet, the NEP aims to create well-rounded individuals with diverse skill sets, which are increasingly valuable in a complex, interconnected world. The challenge lies in balancing breadth and depth, which requires careful curriculum design and iteration over time. Continuous assessment can also provide a more comprehensive evaluation of a student’s capabilities and progress. While the article rightly questions the purpose of higher education: Is it to produce critical thinkers and knowledge creators, or merely to meet market demands? This is a profound question that should guide the evolution of the NEP. For me, the NEP aims to address this by fostering holistic and multidisciplinary education, encouraging critical thinking, creativity, and ethical reasoning. This vision aligns with the goal of producing well-rounded individuals capable of contributing meaningfully to society.

Positive Examples of IKS Implementation

Anaadi Dharma Gurukulam, a holistic residential learning space, offers Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) & NIOS Open Schooling education. Tejasvi Adinarayanan, a senior student at Anaadi, reiterates the benefits of IKS:

The ultimate goal of this integrated knowledge system is liberation; providing the freedom to pursue actions efficiently and successfully, transcending the conventional education system’s focus on job skills and monetization. IKS fosters independence and broad-mindedness, allowing us to see the world beyond material limitations.

Another student, Tavas Shah, also from Anaadi says:

As a 17-year-old student at the Anaadi Foundation in Palani, my experience with the IKS education has been transformative, far exceeding what I had expected from traditional schooling. I have been deeply captivated by Bhāskarācārya’s Līlāvatī, not only for its profound concepts but also for the unique methodology and the rhythmic way it is taught. There is so much to uncover and learn from this ancient text.

On a similar note Vidyakshetra Gurukula too has successfully worked on reclaiming and re-establishing the lost education model of Bhārata, making it relevant to today’s context. It propounds new age thinking without encouraging unwarranted materialism. Vaanya Kamra, a student from this school says:

Retracing my journey of the past seven years, there hasn’t been a single day where I’ve not learnt something new & gained knowledge while truly loving and enjoying the process.

Also from the same gurukula, Srinidhi says:

Vidyakshetra was a breath of fresh air to me. Here we learn only to learn, not for exams or anything else. The learning environment also is such that it makes sure we don’t only learn in a classroom. We are taught to observe and study the insects, plants, weather, etc., around us. Here after the age of twelve, each child has a customized timetable tailored to that child’s needs. I love the fact that we as people only need to grow and become better and better, which is the ultimate goal and not just getting good grades.

Such high praise from young school students is noteworthy, especially in an age where most children would rather be on their gadgets than studying ancient tomes. It is the vision of the founders of such institutions that helps shape young minds and we need more of these in every village, town and district. Just as Bhārata had a gurukula in every village, maintained by the village community, as mentioned by Dharampal in his seminal work on Indian Education, The Beautiful Tree.

Dr. Srinivas Jammalamadaka, Co-founder of Sri Kameswari Foundation, and also Scholar - IKS Courses, in Siddhanta Knowledge Foundation says,

The biggest obstacle I see is that the traditional scholars, though deeply trained in the śāstras, are not able to help develop content that can cater to a larger audience. It is not an easy task to build bridges between IKS and CKS (Contemporary Knowledge Systems). We need either people who are well versed in both the disciplines (which is very rare) or collaborations among scholars belonging to these two disciplines. The scholars who are contributing in this ‘revolution’ have to see the big picture and put in constant efforts for a long period of time. The philanthropists who are funding also have to understand that this is a very long game and one cannot measure the impact of such efforts in a short period of time.

Without the patrons appreciating the nature of obstacles in IKS implementation, without the scholars being engaged fulltime in this work with complete dedication, without the support of the industry, the parents and the student body, we cannot hope to overhaul a system that has been designed to fail from the very start.

It is a humongous task, but everyone involved in the IKS field is determined and optimistic about it. There is broad consensus that India needs to start with training 108 PhD scholars of IKS, as an initial offering into this yajña, of rehauling our ancient knowledge systems back. The knowledge that assures both preyas and śreyas. The knowledge which informs us that ānanda and dharma are the highest goals of education in this land. Indian society - parents, students, teachers, policy makers, and industrialists - all need to join hands to operationalize this grand vision.

sā vidyā yā vimuktaye ||
That alone is knowledge which liberates.

Note: This article is intended to provide an overview of the existing and emergent landscape of the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). In further pieces, we will explore the principles of IKS, the fault lines in the education system today, and the criticality of IKS thereof, in greater depth.