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.

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