INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM: CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS

by B. Mahadevan, Vinayak Rajat Bhat, Nagendra Pavana R.N.

This textbook is a culmination of multiple efforts of the authors to fill in the gap for offering a required course on Indian Knowledge System (IKS), recently mandated by AICTE. Moreover, the New Education Policy (NEP) has also provided a clear trajectory for imparting IKS in the higher education curriculum, necessitating a book of this kind in several higher education institutions in the country in the days to come.

The book seeks to introduce the epistemology and ontology of IKS to the Engineering and Science students in a way they can relate, appreciate and explore further should there be a keen interest in the matter. After a brief section on the key concepts of IKS, the remaining part of the book traces IKS and brings out the applications. After a formal and concise introduction to IKS, the book provides certain foundational concepts applicable across all domains of Science and Engineering. These form the second part. The Science applications are laid out in Part 3, Engineering applications in Part 4 and other important topics in the final part of the book.

The authors have rich expertise and background in both 'mainstream issues' and 'traditional knowledge' to present IKS in a contextually relevant fashion. They have delicately balanced the 'why' or 'how' of IKS and the 'what' of IKS. Although the book has been primarily developed for use by the Engineering institutions, the structure and the contents also address the requirement in other University systems (Liberal Arts, Medicine, Science and Management). This textbook incorporates several pedagogical features including a companion website introduction_to_indian_knowledge_system that will make learning effective and enjoyable for the students.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Students

• Engineering Institutes

• Higher Education Institutes

794 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2022

Reviews

[Sridhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indian knowledge is known best through yoga and kamasutra. This book breaks this and then opens the vastness and richness of Indian knowledge systems spanning a range of subjects from mathematics, science, cosmology to grammar, heath, astro-physics etc. this makes the reader bow down in humiliation the advance thoughts our forefathers had.

[sashank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learnt about this book after watching Prof Mahadevan's lecture on YT. Wonderful effort in bringing so many topics, concepts and wealth of knowledge together as Text book for students. Book, as the title suggests , has all the relevant basic information of Indian Knowledge System framework and covers many relevant concepts and applications. Ample references, reading material, notes also provided. Over all good read and good to know our roots !

[Ajay Thakur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is very lucidly written and a good introduction of Indian Knowledge Systems by a group of authors including Prof B Mahadevan of IIM Bangalore. This book is a fantastic starter kit for all those who want to know what Indic Knowledge System is all about. It is literally a text book on IKS covering a range of topics from Shrutis, Smritis, Darshanas, Indian Mathematics, Medicine, mind sciences , metallurgy, polity and much more. Everyone should have this book at home.