Indian Knowledge Systems: Reviving Roots for a Confident Future
What Are Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS)? Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), or Bharatiya Jnana Parampara, refers to the systematic, rigorous bodies of knowledge developed on the Indian subcontinent over thousands of years, encompassing science, technology, philosophy, medicine, governance, arts, ecology, ethics, and aesthetics. In practice today, IKS shapes the Indian worldview through concepts of Dharma, Rta, cyclical time, guru-shishya parampara, samskaras, family values, and festivals tied to astronomy and seasons. India’s Timeless Contributions to Global Knowledge Academically, it represents world-class contributions: Panini’s formal grammar (4th century BCE), Baudhayana’s theorem centuries before Pythagoras, Aryabhata’s heliocentric astronomy, Sushruta’s plastic surgery, Charaka’s internal medicine, Kautilya’s statecraft, the six darshanas of philosophy taught at ancient universities like Takshashila and Nalanda; the list is endless. The Identity Crisis: Why Today’s Children Are...