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| BOOK REVIEW |
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| Year : 2012 | Volume
: 32
| Issue : 1 | Page : 59-60 |
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Textbook of "Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India"
Kapil Kapoor1, Michel Danino2
1 Ex Pro Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, IIM Ranchi, India
2 Guest professor, IIT Gandhinagar, Visiting Faculty, IIM Ranchi, India
| Date of Web Publication | 21-Jun-2013 |
Correspondence Address:
Michel Danino
Guest professor, IIT Gandhinagar, Visiting Faculty, IIM Ranchi
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
How to cite this article:
Kapoor K, Danino M. Textbook of "Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India"
. Ancient Sci Life 2012;32:59-60 |
 Editors: Prof. Kapil Kapoor, Prof. Michel Danino
Year: 2012
Pages: 10 modules with an average of 30 pages in each.
Price: Not Applicable
Publisher: Central Board of Secondary Education
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to introduce a new elective course for Std XI, known as Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India (KTPI), available to students from the 2012 academic session under the elective course code number 073.
The CBSE's circular said that the newly introduced course "received an overwhelming response from educationists and the teaching community all over India." It aims to engage students with a sense of exploration and discovery while highlighting the concepts and major achievements in various disciplines of knowledge.
This elective is keeping in line with the Board's endeavor to develop the curriculum in various subjects with a deep focus on the values inherent in Indian education system. This focus further takes shape in facilitating knowledge of traditional practices through the course material developed for students.
The various modules of this course have already been put online and a printed book version is currently under process. The Board is also preparing a Hindi version of the course. The Board has written to principals requesting them to include this elective in their scheme of studies. There are a total of 10 modules being offered by CBSE in this course. At present, the e-book of the course with 10 modules can be viewed on CBSE website.
The links to the e-version of modules making up the textbook can be accessed at http://www.cbseacademic.in/circulars2012.html.
The circular number is Acad-68/2012. The various modules and their titles are given below.
Module 1: Astronomy in India / Module 2: Chemistry in India / Module 3: Indian Literatures Part 1 / Module 3: Indian Literatures Part 2 / Module 4: Indian Philosophical Systems / Module 5: Indian Traditional Knowledge on Environmental Conservation / Module 6: Life Sciences (1) Ayurveda for Life, Health and Well-being - Part 1 / Module 6: Life Sciences (2) The Historical Evolution of Medical Tradition in Ancient India - Part 2 / Module 7: Mathematics in India / Module 8: Metallurgy in India / Module 9: Music in India / Module 10: Theatre and Drama in India
The KTPI is being introduced as an elective subject at the Senior Secondary level. After 10 years of general education, students branch out at the beginning of this stage and are exposed to the rigors of the various disciplines for the first time. This is the stage when they are made to start reflecting over their future life and decide of a career. At this point, they also become aware of certain knowledge traditions and practices of India that are being followed in their families and society around them, but few students get an opportunity to lay hands on the vast treasure of knowledge that lies hidden in the form of literature or books.
This course aims at providing a broad overview of Indian thought in a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary mode. It would not seek to impart masses of data, but would highlight the concepts and major achievements while engaging the student with a sense of exploration and discovery. It would be an introductory course, so that students who take this are prepared for a related field in higher studies in the universities. The course will cultivate critical appreciation of the thought content and provide insights relevant for promoting cognitive ability, health, and well-being, good governance, aesthetic appreciation, right values, and appropriate worldview. The course will, therefore, comprehensively deal with all-round personality development of the students and increase their knowledge about their country.
| Concept of the Course | |  |
The knowledge traditions of India are continuous and cumulative. They are textual and exegetical traditions in different areas of thought and experience: philosophy, medicine, grammar, architecture, geography, literary theory, polity and political economy, logic, astronomy and mathematics, military science, metallurgy, agriculture, mining and gemmology, and shipbuilding, among others. Concepts and technical vocabularies of these traditions are still a part of the thinking and languages of modern India.
The tradition is also non-egocentric - the 5 th century philosopher of language, Bhartrhari, states in his Vakyapadiya a cardinal principle of knowledge constitution: "The intellect acquires critical acumen by familiarity with different traditions. How much does one really understand by merely following one's own reasoning only?" (Bhartrihari, Vakyapadiya, II.484). The traditions are, therefore, intrinsically polycentric; Indian thinkers have constantly engaged in internal debate and dialog and have also interacted with the traditions outside India.
| Aims and Objective of the Course | | |
Students will be able to:
- Be familiar with Indian thought in different disciplines;
- be familiar with major Indian thinkers in different disciplines;
- be familiar with the primary texts of Indian thought through an organized study of short extracts in translation of those texts;
- develop a better appreciation and understanding of not only the knowledge traditions and practices of India but also of many contemporary questions and issues that they handle in their course work in related disciplines; and
- enhance self-awareness and self-esteem.
| Specific Aims | | |
Students will be able to
- become familiar with the nature of Indian texts;
- read primary texts from various sources and will be able to collect information and develop their critical abilities;
- relate the knowledge to the present context;
- develop positive attitude toward Indian thoughts and traditions;
- compare and contrast views given in the units and develop interest in the authentic texts;
- internalize the given knowledge and pursue it further in their courses of studies by gathering more information about thinkers and texts;
- interpret and analyze texts of different kinds and express it in their own language;
- understand the contribution of Indian mind in various fields;
- relate ideas of various disciplines with Western thought they are otherwise introduced to in their course work;
- develop a wider understanding of how all knowledge is ultimately interrelated;
- read and know the history of Indian literatures;
- pursue further study in related fields; and
- paraphrase the ideas of primary text in English or Hindi.
| Content | | |
India's knowledge traditions and practices in the following disciplines and a few more topics are expected to be broadly covered during the 2 years course of study:(1) Language and Grammar, (2) Literature, (3) Philosophy Yoga and Logic, (4) Fine Arts, (5) Performing Arts, (6) Mathematics, (7) Astronomy, (8) Chemistry and Perceptions of the Physical World, (9) Metallurgy, (10) Other Technologies, (11) Life Sciences, Medicine and Surgery, (12) Environment and Ecology Traditions, (13) State, Society and Ethics Geography and Cosmology, (14) Medicine and Surgery, (15) Agriculture, (16) Trade and Commerce, (17) Education, and (18) Knowledge Creations and Disseminations.
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