Questions on IKS we must ask and address

Many still believe IKS is an amorphous concept, understood merely as a nostalgic invocation of a golden past with little bearing on the present. That reading is deeply flawed.

- SANTISHREE DHULIPUDI PANDIT

In recent years, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) have found their way into the mainstream of policymaking, NEP 2020 curriculum reform, and even public discourse. Yet, despite the visibility, we are nowhere close to treating IKS with the depth, seriousness, or institutional rigor it deserves. IKS is often reduced to a slogan, a sentimental celebration, or worse, a site of culture war. But if Bharat is serious about decolonizing its mind and shaping a knowledge order rooted in its own intellectual traditions, we need more than performative gestures. We need sharp questions and even sharper answers. Here we must confront and address to move from tokenism to transformation. It needs to include Sanskritic and other traditions, like Tamil, Buddhist, Tribal and Oral.

IS THERE REALLY A COHERENT FRAMEWORK FOR IKS?

Many still believe IKS is an amorphous concept, understood merely as a nostalgic invocation of a golden past with little bearing on the present. That reading is deeply flawed. It rests on three foundational concepts: Laukika Prayojana (practical application), Parampara (civilizational continuity), and Drsti (a distinct philosophical worldview). These are not ornamental phrases but guiding principles that shape how knowledge is produced, transmitted, and applied. However, it should be noted that these are starting points, and there is an urgent need to develop them further.

IKS brings together Jnana (theoretical understanding), Vijnana (scientific knowledge), and Jivana Darsana (a philosophy of life). This triadic structure helps us bridge the ancient and the modern, offering an indigenous alternative to Eurocentric frameworks that often exclude lived experience, ethics, and metaphysics from legitimate inquiry. IKS is thus not frozen in time. But rather a living and evolving knowledge system that must be institutionally grounded and methodologically rigorous.

HOW IS IKS DIFFERENT FROM OR COMPLEMENTARY TO WESTERN SYSTEMS OF KNOWLEDGE?