WHAT IS INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS (IKS)?
Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) essentially include the Vedas, Puranas, Itihaasa (Ramayana and Mahabharata), and a wide array of Indian philosophical traditions (Darśanas), scriptures, and conceptual frameworks such as Dharma, Karma, Yukti, Prajna, Yojana, and indigenous systems of ethics, logic, governance, and cosmology. These are systematized frameworks of ethics, causality, and human purpose analyzed deeply in Indian philosophical traditions.
IKS includes the following Core Knowledge Domains:
- Śāstric & Scriptural Foundations
- The Vedas: Rig, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva
- Vedāṅgas: Six auxiliary disciplines (Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, Chandas, Nirukta, Kalpa, Jyotiṣa)
- Upaniṣads: Metaphysical and philosophical inquiries
- Puranas: Cultural cosmology, genealogy, ethics, and allegorical stories
- Itihaasa: Rāmayana and Mahābhārata, as texts of philosophy, governance, and dharma in action
- Smriti Texts: Manusmriti, Yājñavalkya Smriti, etc., outlining societal frameworks
- Philosophical Thought & Darśanas
- Six classical systems (Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika, Mīmāṁsā, Vedānta)
- Buddhist and Jaina philosophical systems
- Bhakti and Tantra traditions
- Ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology rooted in concepts such as:
- Dharma: Duty, order, righteousness
- Karma: Action and consequence
- Yukti: Logical reasoning, context-sensitive application
- Prajñā (Prajna): Deep insight or intuitive wisdom
- Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram: The Hindu triad of truth, auspiciousness, and beauty.
- Indigenous Concepts & Civilizational Frameworks
- Yojana: Ancient Indian unit of planning, measurement, and strategy
- Purushārthas: Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Mokṣa as goals of life
- Pancha Mahabhutas: Five elemental framework
- Rta: Cosmic order, precursor to dharma
- Yajna: Sacrifice, collective duty, and transformation
- Rasa: Aesthetic theory in arts and literature
- Tantra Yukti & Pramāṇas: Tools and means of valid knowledge and inference.
As per UGC & NEP 2020:
“IKS encompasses the systematized disciplines of knowledge developed to a high degree of sophistication in India from ancient times… including foundational literature such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Purānas, and the Itihaasa.”
With the advent of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, there is a renewed emphasis on integrating IKS into mainstream higher education and research ecosystems. NEP 2020 encourages their inclusion across disciplines such as Law, Philosophy, Leadership, Management, Ethics, and Public Policy. IKS is not only of historical and cultural significance but also of contemporary relevance in addressing global challenges through contextual sustainability, ethical business models, and interdisciplinary innovation.