Indian Knowledge Systems Mela

Table of Contents

Indian Knowledge Systems Mela- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Recently, Minister of State for Education Shri Subhas Sarkar addressed the valedictory session of Indian Knowledge Systems Mela in New Delhi.

About: Indian Knowledge Systems Mela is being organized to commemorate the successful completion of two eventful years of National Educational Policy- 2020 (NEP 2020).
Organizing Agency: Indian Knowledge Systems Mela is being organized by the IKS (Indian Knowledge Systems) Division and AICTE in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture.
Mandate: Indian Knowledge Systems Mela aims to engage deeply with experts on NEP 2020 and learn about the different initiatives, policies, and best practices.
Key Initiatives Launched: IKS Division announced major initiatives such as-
- IKS-MIC programe for technology demonstration,
- Launch of Kalashala initiative in 750+ schools to promote and support local arts and
- Introduction of 75 Bharteeyea games in schools.

To present the achievements of NEP2020 after two years of its acceptance highlighting the role of IKS.
To make NEP2020 into a movement called BhaSVAn – Bharata Svadhyaya Andolanam for national introspection and self-discovery through the indigenization of education.
To make NEP2020 the basis for forging a common Bharatiya identity.
- This will promote excellence, integral growth and the celebration of unity in diversity through the presentation of the skills, arts, sciences and technologies of different regions upholding common values.
To serve as a platform that will bring together different Ministries to co-evolve the Bharatiya identity across converging initiatives on the basis of IKS in NEP2020.

About: Indian Knowledge System (IKS) is an innovative cell under Ministry of Education (MoE) at AICTE, New Delhi.
- IKS division was established in 2020.
Key Functions: Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) Division seeks to-
- Promote interdisciplinary research on all aspects of IKS,
- Preserve and disseminate IKS for further research and societal applications,
- Actively engage for spreading the rich heritage of our country and traditional knowledge in the field of Arts and literature, Agriculture, Basic Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Architecture, Management, Economics, etc.
Parent Ministry: Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) Division functions under administrative control of Ministry of Education (MoE).
Key Functions:
- Facilitate and coordinate IKS based/related inter and transdisciplinary work done by various institutions in India and abroad including universities, institutions of national importance, R&D laboratories and different ministries and inspire private sector organizations to engage with it.
- Establish, guide and monitor subject-wise interdisciplinary research groups comprising of researchers from institutes, centers and individuals.
- Create and promote popularization schemes.
- Facilitate funding of various projects and develop mechanisms to undertake research.
- Make Policy recommendations wherever required for the promotion of IKS.