The introduction of a mandatory course on Indian knowledge systems across the country¡¯s public universities has been criticised for being an ¡°indoctrination¡± project rather than a genuine attempt to decolonise academia.

Under new guidelines published by the University Grants Commission, the course should account for at least 5 per cent of a student¡¯s total credits at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, covering topics including traditional metallurgical studies and proofs in Indian mathematics to those with a more religious tint,?such as horoscopic astrology and the study of economics through Hindu texts like the ²Ñ²¹³ó¨¡²ú³ó¨¡°ù²¹³Ù²¹.

Manasi Thapliyal Navani, an assistant professor in the School of Education Studies at Ambedkar University Delhi, distinguished the UGC¡¯s plans from more fundamental efforts to decolonise India¡¯s higher education system.

¡°Indigenous knowledge education or decolonisation projects begin with a critical dialogue with history and with the dominant forces?that have shaped modern disciplines,¡± she explained.

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However, she said she believed that the UGC had adopted a narrow view that appeased the idea of a singular knowledge system held by the government of Narendra Modi.

¡°There is one Indian knowledge system, which doesn¡¯t allow you to talk about conflicting traditions within the past, presented like a harmonious, seamless discourse,¡± she said of their perspective.?

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This lack of critical engagement, the scholar said, meant that ¡°the whole project essentially boils down to becoming one of indoctrination¡±.

The resources used in the curriculum, she added,?did not include critiques on caste, for example, around which the ancient education system was built.

¡°You¡¯re telling really bright minds of the country to just blindly accept it and then chew it out for their students,¡± she said, adding that the initiative was ¡°somewhere between a political project and a comedy project¡±.

Jaheer Mukthar, an assistant professor of economics at Kristu Jayanti College in Bangalore, noted that there had been a clear shift in the UGC¡¯s policies since 2014, when Mr Modi was elected to office.

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¡°One can say that the government is clearly using the textbook as a tool for propagating the Hindutva agenda,¡± he said in reference to Hindu nationalism, which sits in contrast to secular democracy.

He added that it was a democratic government¡¯s ¡°duty¡± to separate the Indian knowledge system course from political and religious agendas.

¡°It is crucial that educational initiatives and curricula are developed and implemented based on rigorous scholarly research, academic consensus and the principles of academic freedom,¡± he said.

Although Dr Mukthar said that embracing India¡¯s contribution to the knowledge economy across history was positive, he warned that the curriculum designed by the UGC would have ¡°a definite negative impact on the scientific temper among students and the academic community¡±.

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tiya.alexander@timeshighereducation.com