UGC Launches Indian Knowledge System Online Course For Students; Classes From July 31

The University Grant Commission has launched the online course for Indian Knowledge System: Concepts and and Application Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Sharing the update on Twitter handle, UGC Chief Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar wrote that the enrollment for the course is started and classes will begin from July 31, 2023. Further Mr. Kumar has also shared links that will give students preview of the courses.

The online course on Indian Knowledge System is divided into three parts: engineering, science and technology, humanities and social sciences. Interested students can enroll in the course by visiting the official portal of SWAYAM, swayam.gov.in.  The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in general, as well as the early Indians’ contributions to philosophy, science, and associated applications and concepts, are the main objectives of the Humanities and Social Sciences course. The concepts and applications are divided into 10 weeks in the science course syllabus.

Units of measurement, number systems, arithmetic, astronomy, knowledge frameworks and classifications, linguistics, wellness and psychology, town planning, and architecture are among the topics covered in science. The online course includes four quadrants, video lectures, specially crafted reading materials, self-assessment exams, and online discussion forums for doubt-clearing as well.

Earlier as well, UGC issued a draft guidelines inviting suggestions on incorporating the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) in higher education syllabus. The UGC had asked the universities to prepare programmes as per the guidelines. UGC had also directed higher educational institutions (HEIs) to share a few suggestions on the draft guidelines by April 30. The guidelines included:

-Students enrolled in the undergraduate course should be encouraged to take up an adequate number of programmes in IKS, so that the total credits amount to at least 5 per cent of the total mandated credits. Also, students must be encouraged to take up these courses, if possible, during the first four semesters of the undergraduate programme.

-Students must take a foundational programme in IKS, that is planned to present an overall introduction to all the streams of IKS relevant to the UG course.

-UGC has asked all undergraduate teaching institutions to offer a large number of elective courses in IKS. From this, students can choose the requisite number of courses and credits in IKS.

-Students will be allowed to opt for apprenticeship or internship in any of the disciplines that are part of IKS.

-During the 7th or 8th semester of the undergraduate course, students will have to select a suitable topic related to IKS for their project work.

-Candidates registered in undergraduate programmes in medicine are advised to take a credit course in the first year on the Indian systems of medicine. This will help them with a basic understanding of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Homeopathy and Siddha. As they come to the second year, students will have to take up two-semester credit programmes.