INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM

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About

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued draft guidelines on the Indian Knowledge System (IKS).
- College and university teachers may have to undergo compulsory training programmes in IKS.
The programmes will include learning about;
- Chemistry through Ayurveda.
- Mathematics in the Vedas.
- History of the Indian economy in the Mahabharata and the Arthashastra.
The IKS-related sessions will be allocated a minimum of 10% of the total duration of the training programme, or nearly 20 hours.
Programme for teaching chemistry and metallurgy will include;
- Contributions of ancient and medieval Indians as gleaned from archaeological artefacts, temple icons, and other such tangible objects like the Delhi Iron Pillar.
- Chemistry in ayurvedic texts as well as in ayurveda practice, and the use of metals since Vedic times.
Mathematics teachers will have to learn about Mathematical references in;
- The Vedas
- Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī
- Piṅgala’s Chandaḥśāstra
- Aryabhatta’s astronomical treatise called Aryabhatiya
- Jain geometry.
Economics teachers will have to learn about the history of the Indian economy and thoughts from the Dharmashastras, Mahabharata, and Arthashastra.
The programmes will also include visits to temples, gurukuls, ayurvedic healing centres, and historical sites, among others.
- Sessions will be conducted on yoga, meditation, ayurveda and classical music to provide teachers “grounding in experiential aspects” of IKS.

Indian Knowledge System

Indian Knowledge System (IKS) is an innovative cell under the Union Ministry of Education (MoE).
It is established to promote interdisciplinary research on all aspects of IKS and preserve and disseminate IKS for further research and societal applications.
It will actively engage in spreading the rich heritage of our country and traditional knowledge in the field of Arts and literature, Agriculture, Basic Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Architecture, Management, Economics, etc.

University Grants Commission (UGC)

University Grants Commission is a statutory body under the University Grants Commission Act, of 1956.
UGC is charged with the task of coordinating and maintaining standards of higher education in India.
It provides recognition to universities and also allocates funds to universities and colleges.
UGC headquarters are in New Delhi, and it also has 6 regional centres.
All grants to universities and higher learning institutions are handled by the UGC.
In 2015-16, the Union government initiated a National Institutional Ranking Framework under UGC to rank all educational institutes.
UGC also conducts the National Eligibility Test (NET) for the appointments of teachers in colleges and universities.
M Jagadesh Kumar is the current chairman of the UGC.