Key Concepts

  • IKS Division (Indian Knowledge Systems Division) was established in October 2020 under the Ministry of Education (at AICTE headquarters, New Delhi) to promote, document, and integrate IKS across Indian higher education
  • NEP 2020 places significant emphasis on IKS integration into all levels of education — a major policy shift from the earlier Western-centric curriculum framework
  • The WHO-GCTM (Global Centre for Traditional Medicine) at Jamnagar, Gujarat — a WHO centre established in 2022 — positions India as the global hub for traditional medicine research and validation
  • India's yoga diplomacy and AYUSH ecosystem are key instruments of soft power
  • This chapter is cross-relevant for GS-1 (IKS as cultural heritage), GS-2 (education policy, health diplomacy), and GS-3 (science, technology, innovation)

NEP 2020 and Indian Knowledge Systems

The National Education Policy 2020 represents the most comprehensive statement of India's educational philosophy since the Kothari Commission (1966). It explicitly articulates the need to integrate IKS into mainstream education at all levels.

Key NEP 2020 provisions on IKS:

Provision Detail
Early education IKS to be incorporated into school curricula — traditional mathematics, science, arts, and values
Higher education Every student in UG and PG programmes encouraged to take IKS credit courses (minimum 5% of total mandated credits)
Research Promotion of interdisciplinary IKS research; universities to establish IKS Chairs and Centres
Languages Emphasis on Sanskrit and classical languages as vehicles for accessing IKS texts
Teacher training IKS content to be part of teacher education programmes
Vocational integration Traditional crafts, arts, and healing systems to be integrated with vocational education

The NEP does not confine IKS to one chapter — it weaves IKS themes across multiple sections, including those on curriculum, languages, higher education, and research.

IKS Division — Ministry of Education

The IKS Division (Bhāratīya Jñāna Paramparā Vibhāga) was established in October 2020 within the Ministry of Education, housed at AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) headquarters, New Delhi.

Key functions:

  • Coordinates IKS-related interdisciplinary research across institutions in India and abroad
  • Establishes subject-wise research groups (mathematics, astronomy, medicine, ecology, etc.)
  • Manages student internship programmes in IKS
  • Creates popularisation schemes to bring IKS to wider public awareness
  • Supports establishment of IKS Centres in higher education institutions
  • Has reached 6 crore+ citizens with IKS awareness content

Notable IKS academic initiatives:

  • IIT Madras: Offers India's largest IKS course ("India's Ancient Knowledge Systems") — a massive open online course (MOOC)
  • IIT Gandhinagar, University of Hyderabad, and other institutions have established IKS research groups
  • IKS Cell at AICTE coordinates integration of IKS into technical education

WHO Recognition of Traditional Medicine

The World Health Organization (WHO) has progressively recognised traditional medicine systems in global health policy:

Development Detail
WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023 First comprehensive WHO strategy for traditional medicine; emphasised safety, efficacy, quality, and integration
ICD-11 (2019) WHO's International Classification of Diseases 11th revision includes a chapter on traditional medicine diagnoses (principally based on East Asian medicine) — a landmark recognition
WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 Successor strategy; strengthens evidence-based integration of traditional medicine into national health systems; positions traditional medicine as complementary to, not replacement for, evidence-based medicine
WHO-GCTM WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, Jamnagar, Gujarat — established 2022; a global reference centre for evidence-based traditional medicine research, data, and policy

WHO-GCTM at Jamnagar

The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) at Jamnagar, Gujarat is India's flagship contribution to global health diplomacy.

Feature Detail
Location Jamnagar, Gujarat (home of Gujarat Ayurved University)
Established 2022; India committed USD 250 million to fund the Centre
Role Global evidence hub for traditional medicine — generating scientific evidence, developing standards, and supporting countries to integrate traditional medicine safely
Significance First WHO global centre for traditional medicine; positions India as the world leader in traditional medicine research

India's Soft Power Through IKS

IKS as soft power — the promotion of IKS globally serves India's strategic interest in building international influence:

Instrument Details
Yoga diplomacy International Day of Yoga (June 21, observed since 2015); India leads global yoga outreach through Indian embassies worldwide
Ayurveda tourism India's wellness tourism sector built around Ayurveda retreats; significant foreign exchange earner
ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) Promotes IKS globally through cultural centres, scholarships, and academic exchanges
Ayurveda export India exports Ayurvedic products to 100+ countries; AYUSH exports reached approximately USD 1.7 billion (FY 2022–23)
Sanskrit studies India funds Sanskrit studies programmes abroad through ICCR and Ministry of External Affairs

Critical Perspectives on IKS

A balanced understanding of IKS requires acknowledging both its strengths and limitations:

Strengths:

  • Empirically developed over millennia with documented clinical observations
  • Potentially valuable for identifying novel bioactive compounds (biodiversity-based drug discovery)
  • Culturally resonant, patient-centred, and often more accessible to rural populations

Legitimate concerns:

  • Many IKS claims have not been subjected to rigorous randomised controlled trials (RCTs)
  • Risk of uncritical promotion of unvalidated treatments leading to harm (e.g., delayed treatment of serious illness)
  • Risk of pseudoscientific misrepresentation of ancient texts to support contemporary claims
  • The scientific method remains the standard for validating therapeutic claims — IKS must meet the same evidence standards as any other system
  • AYUSH Ministry has faced criticism for promoting some formulations during COVID-19 (e.g., Coronil) without adequate clinical evidence

UPSC Mains angle: Questions may ask students to critically evaluate IKS — the correct answer acknowledges both the genuine scientific heritage and the need for rigorous, evidence-based validation of specific therapeutic claims.

PYQ Relevance

  • UPSC Prelims: WHO-GCTM location (Jamnagar), year of IKS Division establishment (2020)
  • Mains GS-1: "Discuss the significance of NEP 2020 in reviving India's knowledge traditions"
  • GS-2: India's soft power through yoga and Ayurveda; WHO-GCTM as health diplomacy
  • GS-3: Evidence-based validation of traditional medicine

Exam Strategy

  • IKS Division established: October 2020 (under Ministry of Education, at AICTE)
  • WHO-GCTM: Jamnagar, Gujarat, established 2022, India committed USD 250 million
  • NEP 2020 = comprehensive IKS integration at all education levels (not just a single chapter)
  • For Mains: Always present a balanced view — acknowledge scientific heritage AND the need for evidence-based validation; do not uncritically promote or dismiss IKS
  • Yoga diplomacy: Resolution (December 2014), first celebration (June 21, 2015), now observed globally in 190+ countries