Embracing the Roots: Teaching Indian Knowledge System to Senior Secondary Students

Introduction: Rediscovering Our Intellectual Heritage In a rapidly globalizing world, where modern education is often benchmarked by Western frameworks, the resurgence of interest in the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) is a crucial and timely development. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, introduced by the Government of India, rightly emphasizes the integration of IKS into the curriculum, especially at the school level. For senior secondary students, this presents a unique opportunity to not only connect with their civilizational roots but also to develop a broader, more holistic understanding of knowledge and values.

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Indian civilization, one of the oldest in the world, has produced an unparalleled legacy of knowledge in diverse fields: from mathematics, astronomy, medicine, metallurgy, linguistics, and agriculture to music, literature, philosophy, and spirituality. But beyond technical knowledge, our scriptures, texts, and oral traditions have consistently taught the core values of truth, harmony, self-discipline, empathy, and oneness with nature values that are increasingly relevant today.

Understanding the Indian Knowledge System (IKS)

IKS is a holistic, multidisciplinary repository of knowledge developed in India over thousands of years. It includes:

- Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and Epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana

- Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine)

-Yoga and Meditation

- Indian Philosophy (Darshanas like Sankhya, Nyaya, Vedanta)

- Classical Literature in Sanskrit, Pali, Tamil, Prakrit, and other languages

- Mathematics and Astronomy (contributions by Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Brahmagupta)

- Art, Music, and Architecture (temple architecture, classical music forms like Dhrupad and Carnatic)

- Social and Ethical Teachings (as found in scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, Jain Agamas, Guru Granth Sahib)

These elements combine practical knowledge, metaphysical insights, and ethical values fostering intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development.

Why Teach Indian Knowledge System to Senior Secondary Students?

1. Reclaiming Cultural Confidence

Senior secondary students stand at the threshold of adulthood. It is essential they grow up with confidence in their cultural heritage. Exposure to IKS can help shed the inferiority complex that colonial education imposed, replacing it with a balanced sense of pride and identity.

2. Developing a Value-Based Personality