Lok Sabha Question No. 5854 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Implementation of IKS in School and Higher Education
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Roopkumari Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-5854

ANSWERED ON-30/03/2026

## Implementation of IKS in School and Higher Education

5854. Smt. Roopkumari Choudhary:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the implementation status of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in school and higher education curricula as envisaged under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020;
- (b) whether the Government has formulated any national framework for value-based and moral education to strengthen ethical, cultural and social values among students, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the initiatives taken by the Government to integrate Indian philosophy, Vedic literature, Yoga, Ayurveda, traditional mathematics, astronomy and indigenous knowledge systems into mainstream education;
- (d) the number of IKS Centres, Chairs or research programmes established across universities and higher educational institutions in the country; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  launched  any  teacher  training  programmes  to  equip  teachers  with  the capacity to teach value-based education and Indian knowledge traditions and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) to (e): The Government of India has framed the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 with an aim to promote a holistic and multidisciplinary education systems, with a focus on the integration and promotion of Indian  Knowledge  Systems  (IKS).  The  Policy  also  envisages  strengthening  learner-centric  and  holistic education, fostering digital learning and the effective use of technology, enhancing institutional governance, accreditation and industry collaboration, promoting academic research and internationalization, and furthering the development of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS).

In alignment with vision of NEP 2020, the Government has undertaken several curriculum reforms across the education ecosystem. In this respect, National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, an initiative of the Ministry of Education, provides five aims of school education, including the development of rational and independent thinking, promotion of health and well-being through holistic mind-body wellness, strengthening community, economic and cultural participation. One of the chapters of NCFSE 2023 namely 'Rootedness in India' focuses on civilizational heritage and the Indian Knowledge Systems across different stages of school education.

In order to integrate Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in school curriculums, concrete measures have been undertaken including the introduction of 'Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India' as an optional elective in  Classes  XI-XII.  In  addition,  NCERT  has  brought  out  Jaadui  Pitara-  a  collection  of  teaching-learning materials for Balvatika catering children in the age group of  3-6  years. These text-books integrate Indian Knowledge Systems, the freedom movement, constitutional values, local history and languages.

The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, through its Central Sector Scheme i.e., Indian Knowledge System (IKS), also promotes research, curriculum integration, and capacity building in India's traditional  knowledge  systems.  The  scheme  has  implemented  several  programmes  to  promote  Indian knowledge and traditions in education system such as IKS Minors Programme, IKS Interdisciplinary Research through IKS Research for Proposals Program and IKS Research Centre Proposals Program; IKS textbook and course  material  writing  programme;  IKS  Institutional  Internships;  IKS  Panchatantra  Project;  Faculty Development  Programmes  and  workshops;  Digitization  &  Bhāratīya  Jñāna  Saritā  and  IKS  Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (IKS-TKDL) Workshop. More than 100 IKS Centres have been established across Higher Education Institutions and 140 interdisciplinary research projects have been approved to build research capacity as on date. The details of courses offered through IKS Centres are available at https://iksindia.org/courses-offered-by-iks-centers.php.

Further, Government has undertaken several initiatives to integrate Indian philosophy, Vedic literature, Yoga, Ayurveda, traditional mathematics, astronomy and indigenous knowledge systems into mainstream education. In this respect, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified following Guidelines;

- i. Guidelines  for  Incorporating  Indian  Knowledge  System  (IKS)  in  Higher  Education  Curricula.  It prescribes that every student enrolled in a UG or PG programme should be encouraged to take credit courses in IKS amounting in all to at least 5% of the total mandated credits.
- ii. Guidelines for HEIs for inculcation of Human Values and Professional Ethics (Mulyaprava)
- iii. Guidelines for introducing courses based on Indian heritage and culture

Further, Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme (MMTTP), under the ambit of Ministry of Education emphasises on enhancing the quality of teaching, integrating technology, advancing  Indian languages and fostering multidisciplinary learning. The programme is being implemented through 151 identified Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centres (MMTTCs). A key component of the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme (MMTTP) is the two-week online NEP Orientation and Sensitization Programme, which aims to acquaint  faculty  with  the  core  themes  of  NEP  2020,  including  Indian  Knowledge  Systems  (IKS)  and multilingualism, thereby facilitating their integration into teaching practices. As on date, over 1.80 lakh faculty members  have  been  trained  under  the  programme.  Additionally,  MMTTCs  also  conducts  Short-Term Programmes on IKS, and so far, 52 such programmes have been organized, benefiting around 8,000 faculty members and 2,000 research scholars.