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Online a : h ps:// esea ch endsjou nal.com ISSN No: 2584-282X
Indexed Jou nal, Impac Fac o : 6.1 Pee Re iewed Jou nal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRENDS IN EMERGING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Volume 3; Issue 5; 2025; Page No. 47-49
Special Issue o In e na ional Semina (23 d - 24 h Augus , 2025)
On he Topic
Indian Knowledge Sys em (IKS): Challenges & i s Applica ion in Highe Educa ion o
Sus ainable De elopmen
By
Facul y o Educa ion, IASE (DU), Sa da shaha , Chu u, Rajas han - 331403
Challenges o Mains eaming Indian Knowledge Sys em in Academia
Monika Seh awa
Assis an P o esso , Go . College Sec-9, Gu ug am, Ha yana, India
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17212917
Co esponding Au ho : Monika Seh awa
Abs ac
The Indian Knowledge Sys em (IKS) ep esen s cen u ies o in ellec ual, cul u al, and philosophical adi ions encompassing di e se ields
such as philosophy, sciences, medicine, ma hema ics, a s, and go e nance. Despi e i s dep h and global con ibu ions, mains eaming IKS
in o mode n academia aces signi ican challenges. These include s uc u al ba ie s, colonial legacies in educa ion, epis emological
di e ences, lack o adequa e esea ch in as uc u e, insu icien s anda diza ion, and ques ions o au hen ici y and alida ion. While he
Na ional Educa ion Policy (NEP) 2020 p o ides an impo an amewo k o in eg a ing IKS in o highe educa ion, he p ocess o making i
a pa o mains eam academia is s ill nascen and con es ed. This pape c i ically examines he challenges o mains eaming Indian
Knowledge Sys em in academia, explo es he ensions be ween adi ional knowledge and con empo a y scien i ic amewo ks, and
highligh s pa hways o b idging he gap h ough policy e o ms, cu iculum design, in e disciplina y esea ch, and global collabo a ions.
Keywo ds: Indian Knowledge Sys em (IKS), Academia, NEP 2020, T adi ional Knowledge, Mains eaming, Challenges, Epis emology,
Highe Educa ion
In oduc ion
India has been he c adle o a ich in ellec ual adi ion ha
has shaped global hough o cen u ies. F om Vedic ex s,
Upanishadic philosophies, Ayu eda, Yoga, and classical
a s o b eak h oughs in ma hema ics and as onomy, he
Indian Knowledge Sys em (IKS) o e s holis ic ways o
unde s anding li e and he uni e se. Howe e , wi h he
ad en o colonial educa ion and subsequen dominance o
Wes e n pa adigms in academia, adi ional knowledge
sys ems we e ma ginalized, o en dismissed as unscien i ic
o ou da ed.
The cu en educa ional discou se in India is wi nessing a
e i alis momen um, especially wi h he Na ional
Educa ion Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizing he inclusion o
IKS in school and highe educa ion cu icula. Ye ,
mains eaming IKS in o academia is no wi hou hu dles.
Ques ions o c edibili y, me hodology, compa ibili y wi h
mode n scien i ic amewo ks, and poli ical o ideological
con es a ions con inue o shape he deba e.
This pape seeks o examine he challenges ha hinde he
sys ema ic in eg a ion o Indian Knowledge Sys em in o
mains eam academia. The discussion is s uc u ed ac oss
se e al hema ic conce ns: his o ical ma ginaliza ion,
epis emological con lic s, in as uc u al limi a ions,
s anda diza ion issues, global ecogni ion, and socio-
poli ical con es a ions. By analyzing hese challenges, he
pape con ibu es o a balanced unde s anding o how IKS
can be in eg a ed wi hou comp omising academic igo o
cul u al au hen ici y.
His o ical Backg ound: Ma ginaliza ion o IKS
The decline o IKS in academia is deeply oo ed in he
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colonial es uc u ing o Indian educa ion. Macaulay’s
Minu e on Educa ion (1835) explici ly p io i ized English
educa ion, po aying Indian sys ems o knowledge as
“de icien ” compa ed o Wes e n knowledge. T adi ional
gu ukul and mada sa sys ems, which emphasized holis ic
and communi y-based lea ning, we e sys ema ically
weakened.
This his o ical up u e c ea ed a long-las ing pe cep ion ha
Indian epis emologies we e in e io , anecdo al, and
unscien i ic. Pos -independence, while he e we e a emp s
o e i e Ayu eda, Yoga, and Sansk i s udies, mains eam
highe educa ion la gely con inued wi h Wes e n
amewo ks. The colonial legacy con inues o shape
mindse s, c ea ing esis ance o in eg a ing IKS in academia
oday.
Epis emological Challenges
One o he o emos challenges in mains eaming IKS lies in
he epis emological di e gence be ween adi ional
knowledge and mode n scien i ic pa adigms.
Holism s. Reduc ionism
▪ IKS emphasizes a holis ic wo ld iew,
in e connec edness o li e, and expe ien ial wisdom.
▪ Mode n science elies on educ ionism, specializa ion,
and empi ical alida ion.
▪ B idging hese pa adigms equi es ca e ul
epis emological nego ia ion.
O ali y s. Tex uali y
▪ Much o IKS was ansmi ed o ally, h ough eache s
and p ac i ione s.
▪ Academia depends on s anda dized w i en ex s, pee -
e iewed publica ions, and codi ied cu icula.
Valida ion Mechanisms
▪ T adi ional sys ems ely on expe ien ial p oo
(p a yaksha), sc ip u al au ho i y (shabda), and
in e ence (anumana).
▪ Con empo a y academia p io i izes andomized
con olled ials, labo a o y expe imen s, and
ep oducibili y.
▪ De eloping me hodologies ha espec bo h adi ions
is a complex challenge.
S uc u al and Ins i u ional Challenges
Lack o In as uc u e
Few ins i u ions a e dedica ed o sys ema ic IKS esea ch.
While cen e s exis o Ayu eda, Yoga, o Sansk i s udies,
mul idisciplina y esea ch hubs emain a e.
F agmen a ion o Disciplines
Academia is highly compa men alized, while IKS adi ions
a e inhe en ly in e disciplina y (e.g., Ayu eda in eg a es
biology, chemis y, spi i uali y, and e hics).
Cu icula Gaps
Uni e si y cu icula o e limi ed exposu e o IKS, and
when hey do, hey o en p esen i in isola ion a he han as
pa o in eg a ed lea ning.
Facul y P epa edness
Lack o ained acul y wi h expe ise in bo h adi ional
knowledge and mode n academic equi emen s hampe s
quali y eaching and esea ch.
S anda diza ion and Au hen ici y Issues
Di e si y o T adi ions
India’s knowledge sys ems a e egionally di e se:
Ayu eda, Siddha, Unani, Yoga, olk medicine, classical
a s, e c. Mains eaming equi es a ca e ul balance be ween
uni y and di e si y.
Tex ual Va ia ions
Mul iple e sions o classical ex s c ea e challenges in
deciding au ho i a i e e e ences o academic cu icula.
Au hen ici y Conce ns
Some mode n ein e p e a ions o IKS isk dilu ing
au hen ici y o comme cial o poli ical pu poses. This
c ea es mis us among schola s.
Challenges o Global Recogni ion
While Yoga and Ayu eda ha e gained global ecogni ion,
much o IKS is s ill seen as “al e na i e” knowledge a he
han mains eam science. This global pe cep ion a ec s
local academic c edibili y. Mo eo e :
In e na ional jou nals o en hesi a e o publish esea ch
oo ed in adi ional epis emologies.
Pa en ing and in ellec ual p ope y igh s (IPR) issues a ise
when adi ional knowledge is app op ia ed wi hou
acknowledgmen (e.g., neem, u me ic, basma i cases).
Poli ical and Ideological Con es a ions
The mains eaming o IKS is o en en angled wi h poli ical
ideologies. While e i alis e o s a e impo an , hey
some imes isk being pe cei ed as poli iciza ion o
knowledge. Conce ns include:
Selec i e p omo ion o ce ain adi ions o e o he s.
▪ Use o IKS discou se o push ideological o eligious
agendas.
▪ Aliena ion o mino i y knowledge sys ems (e.g., Unani,
olk p ac ices)
▪ Such con es a ions unde mine academic objec i i y and
c ea e esis ance wi hin schola ly communi ies.
Resea ch and Me hodological Gap
Documen a ion: La ge sec ions o IKS emain
undocumen ed o sca e ed ac oss manusc ip s, olk
adi ions, and o al na a i es.
T ansla ion Ba ie : Many ex s emain un ansla ed,
limi ing accessibili y o schola s ac oss disciplines.
Resea ch Funding: Funding o IKS esea ch is limi ed
compa ed o con en ional sciences.
In e disciplina y Me hods: Lack o amewo ks ha
in eg a e IKS wi h mode n esea ch me hodologies c ea es
c edibili y issues in academia.
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Oppo uni ies and Pa hways Fo wa d
Despi e challenges, mains eaming IKS in o academia is
bo h desi able and possible. Some po en ial pa hways
include:
Policy Suppo
NEP 2020 p o ides a amewo k o p omo ing IKS h ough
cu iculum e o ms, esea ch g an s, and dedica ed
ins i u ions.
In e disciplina y Resea ch
Collabo a i e p ojec s be ween scien is s, his o ians,
philosophe s, and p ac i ione s can c ea e b idges.
Digi al Documen a ion
Digi iza ion o manusc ip s and o al adi ions can p ese e
and dissemina e knowledge widely.
Capaci y Building
T aining acul y and esea che s in bo h IKS and mode n
esea ch p ac ices will ensu e balanced schola ship.
In e na ional Collabo a ions
Pa ne ships wi h global uni e si ies can enhance
ecogni ion and c edibili y o IKS.
E hical In eg a ion
Ensu ing au hen ici y, inclusi i y, and non-poli iciza ion o
IKS is essen ial o i s academic accep ance.
Conclusion
The mains eaming o Indian Knowledge Sys em in
academia ep esen s bo h a challenge and an oppo uni y.
While epis emological di e ences, in as uc u al
limi a ions, s anda diza ion issues, and poli ical
con es a ions hinde p og ess, policy ini ia i es and
schola ly e o s can c ea e a balanced in eg a ion. The ask
is no o eplace mode n science wi h IKS, bu o en ich
academia wi h di e se epis emologies ha p o ide holis ic
and sus ainable ways o unde s anding he wo ld.
By emb acing plu alism, os e ing in e disciplina y
esea ch, and ensu ing academic igo , India can eclaim
and globalize i s in ellec ual he i age while also con ibu ing
meaning ully o he global pool o knowledge.
Re e ences
1. Macaulay TB. Minu e on Indian Educa ion.
Go e nmen o India A chi es; c1835.
2. Na ional Educa ion Policy (NEP). Minis y o
Educa ion, Go e nmen o India; c2020.
3. Kapu M. Educa ion and he Indian Knowledge Sys em:
Challenges and Oppo uni ies. New Delhi: Rou ledge;
c2019.
4. Radhak ishnan S. Indian Philosophy. Ox o d Uni e si y
P ess; c2015.
5. Sen A. The A gumen a i e Indian: W i ings on Indian
His o y, Cul u e and Iden i y. Penguin; c2005.
6. Sha ma A. Mains eaming Indian Knowledge Sys ems
in Highe Educa ion. Jou nal o Indian Educa ion.
2021;47(2):15-29.
7. Sub ahmanyam S. F om he Tago e o he Global:
Indian Knowledge Sys ems and Cul u al T ansmission.
Ha a d Uni e si y P ess; c2010.
8. Va ma R. Epis emology and Indian Knowledge
Sys ems: B idging he Gap wi h Mode n Science.
Indian Jou nal o Philosophy. 2018;32(1):101-119.
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