|
 
 |
| READERS VIEWPOINT/LETTER |
|
| Year : 2016 | Volume
: 35
| Issue : 4 | Page : 251-252 |
|
A proposal for inclusion of Indology in regular school curriculum
Sanchit Misra
Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| Date of Web Publication | 10-Aug-2016 |
Correspondence Address:
Sanchit Misra
Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi - 221 005, Uttar Pradesh
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0257-7941.188180
How to cite this article:
Misra S. A proposal for inclusion of Indology in regular school curriculum. Ancient Sci Life 2016;35:251-2 |
Sir,
Indology is the study of Indian history, literature, philosophy, and culture.[1]
If we go by this definition, we do teach Indian history, Indian literature and culture to some extent in our schools, but we don't teach the Indian philosophy (Darśana , as it is exactly called in ancient Indian texts), which is the very basis on which all the Indian knowledge systems are rooted. I argue that the school going children being brought up in India should be introduced to some salient features and basics of the philosophical thoughts that were used as the major tools to achieve knowledge in the ancient times.
After any great discovery is published in the global context, Indian scholars often start claiming that this knowledge was already there in our ancient scriptures. But this trend of living in the past glory needs to be reversed, which we can do only when we will have brilliant minds that rather contribute and introduce to the world new discoveries from our treasures of ancient scriptures instead of only claiming the discoveries of somebody else as our own. We need a good work force which can tap, rediscover and unfold our unknown treasures of ancient scriptures and we need the brilliant scholars for that.
Scientific knowledge from the ancient Indian texts covers information about the solar system, gravity, and even the unseen particles around the world. The scientific knowledge base presented by our Ṛṣis [2] covers a wide canvas of subjects such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, zoology, botany,[3] agriculture,[4] metallurgy, medicine,[5],[6],[7] psychiatry,[8] veterinary science, architecture, etc.
Evidences from medical and non-medical Sanskrit literature are readily available to prove the fact that concepts of physiology in our ancient Indian manuscripts are time tested.[9] It is noteworthy to observe that in the Vedic and Ayurvedic lore, the phenomenon of circulation of blood has been described.[9] The working of heart as a pump has been recorded and also the importance of such a function of heart through blood vessels has been recognized.[9],[10]
We should introduce information on the foundational contributions of ancient Indian thinkers to the Indian school going children by incorporating such content in the curriculum to kindle creativity in their minds that is inspired by their rich intellectual heritage.
Indology is not a new academic discipline, but is being effectively taught and researched upon in various institutions in India and around the world.
The CBSE having introduced KTPI- Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India [11] introduced as an Elective subject in Class XI and XII is a good endeavor worth appreciation, but introducing this in younger students would have been better because they tend to be not very encumbered by career concerns. We can also further simplify the content for Primary standards (V-VII) by teaching only the essential philosophies and in a more interesting manner like in the form of stories and making the teaching interactive. This will go a long way in making the students more interested in opting for the subject.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | |  |
| 1. | Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2014.  |
| 2. | Kalamangalam GP, Ellmore TM. Focal cortical thickness correlates of exceptional memory training in Vedic priests. Front Hum Neurosci 2014;8:833. |
| 3. | Das RP. Some notes on vrksayurveda. Anc Sci Life 1986;6:6-9. |
| 4. | Jakhmola RK. Medicinal – Agricultural science in Vedic literature. Ayu 2012;33:147-56. [ PUBMED]  |
| 5. | Natarajan K. Surgical instruments and endoscopes of Susruta, the sage surgeon of ancient India. Indian J Surg 2008;70:219-23. |
| 6. | Rao MS. The history of medicine in India and Burma. Med Hist 1968;12:52-61. |
| 7. | Atharva vedic views on tuberculosis. Anc Sci Life 1988;8:I. |
| 8. | Nizamie SH, Goyal N. History of psychiatry in India. Indian J Psychiatry 2010;52 Suppl 1:S7-12. |
| 9. | Pandey VN, Pandey A. A comparitive study on concepts of circulation of blood. Anc Sci Life 1990;9:178-84. |
| 10. | Patwardhan K. The history of the discovery of blood circulation: Unrecognized contributions of Ayurveda masters. Adv Physiol Educ 2012;36:77-82. |
| 11. | |
|
Search Pubmed for