Page 11 - Guidelines for Training/ Orientation of Faculty on IKS

APPENDIX

MODEL CURRICULA OF COURSES IN INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM

Below are a few model curricula of courses in Indian Knowledge System (IKS) that may be useful
for designing appropriate courses, including Foundation Courses in IKS and some possible Elective
Courses on disciplines that are part of IKS, such as Indian Mathematics and Indian Astronomy. Apart
from Elective Courses in these and other disciplines which are part of IKS such as Indian Logic,
Indian Linguistics, Indian Metallurgy, Indian Architecture, etc., there can also be Elective Courses on
Special Topics that are part of IKS, such as Indian Algebra, Indian Astronomical Instruments, Indian
Iconography, Indian Musical Instruments, Water Management in Pre-British India, etc.

A. FOUNDATIONAL COURSES IN IKS

I. INTRODUCTION TO IKS

1. Bharatavarsha—A Land of Rare Natural Endowments:
Largest cultivable area in the world. Protected and nurtured by Himalayas. The Sindhu-Ganga plain
and the great coastal plains. The great rivers of India.

Abundant rains, sunshine and warmth, vegetation, animals and mineral wealth. Most populous
country in the world. India’s prosperity held the world in thrall.

Splendid geographical isolation of India and the uniqueness of Indian culture.

2. Foundational Literature of Indian Civilisation:

The Vedic Corpus. The Itihasas— Ramayana and Mahabharata, and their important regional versions.
The Puranas.

The role of Itihasas and Puranas in understanding the Vedas.

Foundational Texts of Indian Philosophies, including the Jaina and Bauddha. Foundational Texts of
Indian Religious Sampradayas, from the Vedic period to the Bhakti traditions of different regions.

i. The Vedangas and Other Streams of Indian Knowledge System:

The six Vedangas — Siksha, Vyakarana, Chandas, Nirukta, Jyotisha and Kalpa. Other streams
of Indian Knowledge System such as Ayurveda, Sthapatya, Natyasastra, Dharmasastra,
Arthasastra, etc.

Continuity of the Corpus.The Indian way of continuing the evolution of knowledge through
commentaries, interpretations and revisions of the foundational texts.

The large corpus of literature on IKS in Sanskrit and other Indian languages. Others sources
for the study of Indian Knowledge System.

ii. Indian Language Sciences:

Language Sciences and the preservation of the Vedic corpus.

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Guidelines for Incorporating Indian Knowledge in Higher Education Curricula