India Today striving to become a prosperous country and occupy its rightful place as an economic power similarly IKS need to be the foundation of knowledge power of Bharata. Hence, incorporating IKS in higher education institutions is the need of the hour. Following are the few suggestions and feedback to UGC on its draft guidelines for Incorporating "Indian Knowledge System in Higher Education Curricula".
General guidelines for IKS courses in UG programmes - Suggestions
- Compulsory IKS courses for UG programme is the need of the hour. We appreciate for making it compulsory for all.
- For UG programmes in medicine optional to take a credit course is a good initiative especially for BAMS course students of ayurveda take modern Physiology as a compulsory subject along with traditional paper “Sharira kriya”
- Concerns need to be addressed with HEIs who have integrated UGs programs for seamless integration of IKS foundation courses.
General guidelines for IKS courses in PG programmes - Suggestions
- The compulsory course for PG program needs to be relooked. Since majority of the higher education institutions are coming under the implementation of NEP, the classification of UG and PG boundaries will be agile in nature. Providing the IKS courses in an optional mode will facilitate seamless integration, because compulsory leads to resistance and lack of acceptance especially the technical and professional courses.
- There are few PG courses IKS can be made compulsory. Courses like Indian music, Indian philosophy, Ayurveda, Astronomy, Mathematics, Quantum Physics, Consciousness studies, Homeopathy, Unani, Yoga sciences and Naturopathy. IKS need to be made compulsory.
- It is to be suggested that integration of IKS courses can be brought into technical and professional disciplines like Metallurgy, Textile, Law, Agriculture and Medicine through evidence-based approach.
General Observations & Suggestions
- All universities need to make a conscious effort in bringing comprehensive courses on IKS. It is to be observed that there is a need to introduce foundational compulsory course for everyone irrespective of Science & Technology, Commerce and Art disciplines. At second level there is a need to develop tailored IKS courses for PG professional and technical courses, which can be referred as advanced IKS courses based on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary subject offered by respective higher education institutions.
- Institutions providing Teacher’s education and Physical education need to bring IKS courses in compulsory mode. Further these institutions can be the centre for providing the faculty development programs on a regular basis.
- IKS courses can be made compulsory in vocational institutions like ITIs
- Personality reengineering self-management mindfulness at workplace are the essential components and concerns of 21st century organization. Hence the introducing of IKS at higher Education is vital. The concept of self, formation of identify, self-image and its influence on behaviour and actions is the centre part of adolescent life. Introduction of foundational IKS courses for UG program will provide strong foundation for holistic development.
- Bringing structural and functional change in higher education institutions need more time and engagement. The 10-year span vision by the UGC guidelines is short. We suggest 15 years’ time span for effective integration IKS courses in HEIs. This includes three phases explained in the following points
- Phase 1 – Identify Resistors of Integration
- The first 3 years of introduction of IKS courses can be made optional for PG courses and made compulsory for UG courses. Then a systematic feedback from the higher education institution needs to be sought to understand the barriers of implementation and further streamline the process of integrating IKS can be reviewed.
- Phase 2 – Systematic Study on the scope of Integration & facilitate
- Duration 7 years
- There are few subject areas like Music, Philosophy, Art, Science, Mathematics, Humanities, where IKS can be integrated seamlessly. But the trans-disciplinary subjects like Nano technology, cyber physical systems, robotics, automation requires evidence based on practice-based for integration of IKS. Hence there is a need for more research and development, for effective integration of IKS.
- The best practices from higher education institutions who have successfully incorporated IKS courses need recorded at different levels and these observations will remove barriers and promote higher level of acceptance.
- Phase 3 – Facilitation to acceptance
- Duration 5 years
- In this stage IKS courses can be made compulsory for all PG courses.
- Research and Development in integrated areas of IKS
- Tailored intervention to integrate IKS technical and professional courses at PG level.
Management Education concerns
A short survey was conducted to understand the perception of Management faculty and Research scholars with respect to Integrating Indian Knowledge System in Indian Management Education & Curriculum. About 44.6% were Assistant Professor, 12.5% were Associate professor and 14.3% were head of the department and 25% were research scholars, professor, entrepreneurs, and consultants.
Majority of the Participants 32.1 pc wish to bring IKS to management education through research and studying original texts, understand the relevance for sustainable social development. 16.1% respondents felt that preserving original traditions, texts through appropriate means and 16.1% would like to infuse IKS into existing course using relevant examples and concepts from management. 14.3% respondents would like to collaborate with traditional scholars, artists, and experts (See figure 1).
Figure 1: Bringing IKS to Management
- About 82.1% of participants felt that IKS is important and 75% of them feel that it is important to their management students.
- With respect to relevance 82.1% of participants perceive that IKS is relevant to contemporary management today.
- About 35.7% of respondents feel that it is time to introduce IKS in management education
- Around 28.6% pf respondents feel that there is enough thrust for research on the concepts of Indian knowledge system in management
- 94.6% of participants of the online seminar expressed interest to be part of Bharatiya management, CESS Network
Following were the concerns expressed by the management experts towards integrating IKS in management education
- Emphasis on moral, spiritual and social values on Indian management education
- The NEP 2020 policy acts a facilitator, it is the institution and individual are the key to bringing Indian Ethos. HEIs have more autonomy to bring IKS to Indian Management
- Management education need to develop diverse approaches on Indian Management Business or Models which are Collective & Community based approach, Family business models and mixed working environments.
- Seeding adequate importance to seminal works and promote Meta skill in connecting thoughts, world view and perspective should become the central part of Indian thinking.
- The development of unitive mindset seeking richness in understanding the context is the integral need for the development of curriculum IKS to Indian Management.
Research in IKS: Among HEIs the Ph.D programs can be introduced IKS research areas along current disciplinary areas . Further the core and collaborative IKS research areas for Ph.D programs can be laid out as a road map from IKS Division to HEIs. This will encourage young bright scholars to engage in multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.
Conclusion:
The UGC guidelines for incorporating IKS in HEIs Is inclusive and integrated with an EP 2020 spirit. The introduction of IKS courses at UG programmes and making it compulsory is the vital for young vibrant India.
The IKS need to cater solution to Modern concerns and challenges of 21st century. It is not only bringing information the past to present, it is also a Conscious Collaborative Responsible effort to bring wisdom from the past towards addressing the contemporary challenges of technology, society, and environment. Therefore, we believe the introduction of IKS courses will facilitate students to rediscover self, experiment, refine instruments of knowledge, and equip with perfect experience to address contemporary organisations demands and challenges. The IKS courses need to integrate the educational needs of present society with the material, economic, technological, social and culture needs. The knowledge fabric needs to advocate collective reorganisation and effective unity of mankind.
