GUIDELINES FOR INCORPORATINGINDIAN KNOWLEDGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULA

Guidelines for IKS Courses in UG Programmes:

1. All the students who are enrolled in the four-year UG programmes should be encouraged to take an adequate number of courses in IKS so that the total credits
2. of the courses taken in IKS amount to at least five per cent of the total mandated credits. The students may be encouraged to take these courses, preferably during the first four semesters of the UG programme. At least half of these mandated credits should be in courses in disciplines which are part of IKS and are related to the major field of specialization that the student is pursuing in the UG programme. They will be included as a part of the total mandated credits that the student is expected to take in the major field of specialization. The rest of the mandated credits in IKS can be included as a part of the mandated Multidisciplinary courses that are to be taken by every student.

• All the students should take a Foundational Course in Indian Knowledge System, which is designed to present an overall introduction to all the streams of IKS relevant to the UG programme. The foundational IKS course should be broad-based and cover introductory material on all aspects. It would enable students to explore the most fundamental ideas that have shaped Indian Knowledge Traditions over the centuries. Brief outlines of a few Model Curricula that may be followed in the Foundational Courses in IKS are presented in Appendix.
  • All UG-teaching Institutions should offer a large number of Elective Courses in IKS, from which the students may choose appropriately so as to complete a requisite number of courses and credits in IKS. These credits may be apportioned to the core disciplinary courses and the multidisciplinary courses. These courses could be in any of the disciplines/topics that are part of IKS, which are related to the field of specialization that the student is pursuing in the UG programme.
  • The students may be allowed to opt for internship/apprenticeship in any of the disciplines/topics that are part of IKS.
  • Wherever possible, the students may be encouraged to choose a suitable topic related to IKS for their project work in the 7/8th semesters of the UG programme.
  • Students who are enrolled in UG programmes in medicine may take a Credit Course in the first year on Indian Systems of Medicine, which will provide them with a “basic understanding of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy” (NEP 20.2), which are continuing traditions of medicine that still attend to the health needs of large sections of the Indian population. During the second year, the students may take a two-semester credit course on the Theory and Practice of any one of the Indian Systems of Medicine, such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Yoga, etc.

These provisions may be incorporated into the curricular framework for the respective programmes with the approval of the competent authority/body of the Higher Educational Institutions/the concerned professional councils wherever applicable.

Guidelines for IKS Courses at the PG Level

All the students studying for PG programmes in Arts, Commerce and Sciences should take an adequate number of advanced credit courses in any of the disciplines/topics that are part of IKS and related to their subject of specialization so that the total credits of the courses taken by the student in IKS amount to at least five percent of the total mandated credits.

• The students may be allowed to opt for taking additional courses in disciplines/ topics that are part of IKS if such an option is available and is consistent with the requirements of the PG programme.

Guidelines for IKS Courses in Sanskrit and Indian Language Universities

1. There are a number of Universities in the country which are designated as Sanskrit or Indian Language Universities. These Universities should strive to broaden their scope and develop into Universities of Indian Knowledge System without giving up their focus on Sanskrit or the Indian Language of their region.
   1. All students who are enrolled in UG programmes in the Sanskrit or Indian Language Universities should take the following credit courses in IKS:
   2. A two-semester Foundational Course in IKS is designed to present an overall introduction to all the streams of IKS.

A Course on “Manuscriptology and Critical Editing of Texts”.

A two-semester Multidisciplinary Course on “IKS and Contemporary Knowledge in a Selected Discipline”. The Universities should make due efforts to offer such courses in several disciplines that are part of IKS so that the students can choose their courses appropriately. For instance, the students studying Nyāya-Śāstra could opt to take a two-semester course on “Nyāya and the Greco-European Tradition of Logic.”

Guidelines for PG Programmes in Disciplines that are Part of IKS

1. Currently, there are some PG courses in disciplines that are part of IKS, such as Master of Arts in Indian Music, Master of Arts in Indian Philosophy, PG courses in different streams of Indian Systems of Medicine, etc. Many of the Sanskrit Universities also have an Acharya or Masters Degree programme in various Śāstras.
   1. It is the view of this Committee that these courses need to be redesigned so as to ensure that they are anchored in the tradition of IKS. As of now, the PG courses in Indian Music, Indian Philosophy, or even Ayurveda or the studies of Śāstras in Sanskrit Universities are not particularly related to the perspective of IKS and tend to teach Western epistemologies and methodologies for studying and conducting research in these streams. While some of the latter may be required, the perspective and the main emphasis of these courses have to be rooted in the perspective of IKS.
   • After such PG programmes in disciplines that are part of IKS are approved and begin to be taught, the same curricula may be adopted for conducting NET examinations in these disciplines that are part of IKS. For instance, students who study a master’s programme in Nyaya or Ganita will write a NET examination in Nyaya or Ganita, respectively.

Suggestions for effective implementation

1. All Universities should make due effort to promote and nurture UG/PG courses in all the disciplines that are part of IKS.

• All students should be exposed to the common underlying philosophical foundation of the various disciplines that are part of IKS.
  • At least one to two lectures on the fundamental vocabulary of IKS should be conducted to familiarize faculty with the common terms used in IKS.
  • A strong emphasis should be placed on providing exposure to the primary texts of IKS, which is required for acquiring a deeper understanding.
  • Ready access to a wide range of primary and secondary resources should be provided to enable teachers to understand the continuous and vibrant tradition of IKS. These materials may be developed by a team of subject experts and made available to teachers. Extreme care must be taken to ensure the authenticity and scholarly nature of the content that may be developed for the orientation/induction and refresher courses.
  • A list of IKS content available in regional languages should be compiled and made available for the benefit of teachers.
• Sharing the life and work of contemporary scholars and innovators who have made seminal contributions in their fields using IKS would motivate teachers to explore various dimensions of IKS.
  • To connect with the oral tradition of IKS, one practical session on the ancient technique of memorization, with a few examples from primary texts, would be helpful.
  • A few immersive sessions on Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda, Classical Music, Indian Craft traditions, etc., should be arranged to give students some grounding in the experiential aspects of IKS.

The course curriculum development should be closely integrated with the teacher training in IKS