The long colonial legacy of education in our country had systematically excluded our great tradition of learning and made us live in a state of Induced Ignorance in which our learners were severed from their cultural heritage and knowledge resulted in distorted version of knowledge and suppression of indigenous or autochthonous Indian thought and eventually we lost access to our own knowledge system.
NEP 2020 and NCF’s came as a panacea seeks to change agnotology into knowledge pride. While NEP promising a vision, its implementation faces umpteen challenges including some fallacies rooted in IKS.
India, a land rich in discoveries and wonders has a long history of several intellectual inquiry. Ancient travellers such as Megasthenes (302 BC), Fa-heim (399-412 AD), Hiuen Tsang (629-645 AD), Al-Biruni, Ibn-Battuta and several others who wrote extensively regarding the society, religion system, culture, tradition and knowledge of not only Indian but of whole subcontinent.
India is also the land which produced some great mathematicians, astronomers, scientists, historians, social workers etc. who made remarkable contribution across all fields and showcased the countries intellectual heritage. Some of the most notable were Aryabhta, Brahmagupta who wrote Brahmasputa Siddhanta mentioned zero as a number, intruded negative, positive numbers, Varahmihira who wrote Pancha-Siddantika-book on mathematical astronomy and Kalhan historian of Rajatarangani.
Ancient universities such as Nalanda, Takshashila, Vikramshila, Vallabhi etc. were major centres of learning which attracted scholars and students across the globe. These institutions were spiritual centres where empirical knowledge along with spirituality were imparted.
Indian Knowledge system (IKS) was a fusion of philosophy, math, science, art and ethics fostering even todays NEP’s dream of holistic learning and critical understanding. Indeed, our Indian Knowledge System (IKS) is very deep rooted and can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilization or Harrapan Culture around 3000-1000 BC.
Knowledge Pride to Knowledge Relegation:
Right from Indus Valley Civilization to till date, India has historically been a civilized in educational process and has repository of wisdom almost in every filed like art education, aesthetics, literature, philosophy, social sciences, governance, tribal systems, mathematics and technology.
In pre-British times, India had a vast network of knowledge that caters practical, moral and aesthetical dimension of education. India had considerable educational institutions like Pathshala’s, Gurukulas, Ashrams, Madrasas, Craft guilds as (reported by William Adam-1830’s).
Regretfully, colonial education dismantled this system of education. Indigenous knowledge system was almost ignored and stigmatized as unscientific and outdated. Several education acts and committees have institutionalized a curriculum based on western literature particularly Macaulay’s Minutes of 1835 and Charles Wood 1854 which prioritized western education through the medium of English over traditional vernacular Indian education system. This policy was aimed to create a class of persons Indian in blood and colour but English in taste. The intention of universalization of education was less than their administrative comfortability. It was to make Indians enslaved not only physically but psychologically as well. This whole process created an “elite system” or loyalist for British who was detached from traditional educational setup of India. The famous Sanskrit and Persian system of Indian education system was deliberately sidelined.
Policy pathways: The Way forward
Curriculum reform:
First thing is needed to IKS perspectives must be embeded into existing curriculum through localized texts and context-driven in consultation with local experts considering student-oriented interests. Students should learn how ancient concepts influenced modern subjects ranging from Aryabhata’s astronomy to Pingala’s binary number system. Highlighting institutions like Nalanda and global influences of Indian epics is essential to dismantle induced ignorance and restore informed cultural pride.
Pedagogical practices: Play-way methods of teaching, joyful techniques, experiential learning and Kinesthetic learning (hands-on activities) to connect classroom concepts to real world applications. Organize local filed trips to nearby historical sites, artifact-based learning, religious places, cultural centers and other significant places to expose students to Indian history, its glorious architecture and philosophy through tangible artifacts. Embrace storytelling and integrate oral narratives, folktales and epics to convey cultural glory and ethical teachings to learners so that teaching become engaging and interactive.
Architecture, Arts and languages:
Early education should include focused modules on Indian art, architecture, literature, music and dance to get the dream of NEP and IKS full-filled.
Teacher capacity building programmes:
As mentioned in NEP under different paras like 5.5 and 5.9, teachers must undergo professional development (CPD) to keep themselves updated with the latest pedagogical practices, curriculum changes and know the nitty-gritty of technology. This will ultimately benefit the students at large. Workshops on IKS and exposure visits across India to know the glorious past and our deep-rooted knowledge.
Community mobilization: CM is vital. Invite local craftsmen, artisans, historians, alumni, religious scholars, elders and others to learn about traditional crafts, values, knowledge, culture and other practices.
Developing Community Knowledge Register can document and preserve local heritage.
Integrating IKS under NEP is not merely curriculum reform, it is a civilization reclaimation. By addressing induced ignorance and nurturing informed ethnocultural pride while respecting global diversity. India can restore its legacy as a knowledge leader and empower learners for the future.
The writer is a Teacher/Resource Person and Best Teacher Awardee 2025.
