On national education policy exhortation to bring Indian knowledge into higher education curriculum - About commerce and management

1. Integrating Indian Knowledge
System in Commerce and
Management Education
UNNAT SHIKSHAN
UNNAT BHARAT
7th of Sept 2022

2. After lunch wake up quiz !
• Kanji Malam – Mandvi port
• Gathapathi Saddalputra -500 to 300 BC - Sreni
• Huvishka Kushan Reign 150–180 CE
• Fateh Chand - Jagath Seth title 1723
Sir William
James
Ashley (25
February
1860 – 23
July 1927)

3. Some Karnataka stories as an example - You already
know many more
• Chatti Setti - 1187 - Arsikere
• Kunja Setti - Malabari
• Aihole - Guild of 500 - 9CE - Ayyavolu in
Telugu, and Ainuruvar in Tamil
• Sanikatta - 1720 - brown
• 1906 - Bank

4. Lothal -Construction of the city is believed to
have begun around 2200 BCE
International
trade in
gems,
beads and
ornaments
The Birmingham
programme in
commerce 1902
- economic
geography,
economic
history, general
economics,
modern
languages, and
accountancy.

5. Structure of this presentation
1. IKS in the NEP 2020 - some extracts
2. Why IKS? X
3. Present system and Bharatiya system - different student
experience
4. Where and How can we incorporate IKS in Commerce
5. Where and how can we incorporate IKS in Management -
Bharatiya Management
6. Sources and risks
7. Who can bring IKS into the classroom?
8. Difference between a teacher and a guru
9. Questions

6. IKS in the National Education Policy
“The fundamental principles that will guide both the education
system at large, as well as the individual institutions within it are: …a
rootedness and pride in India, and its rich, diverse, ancient
and modern culture and knowledge systems and traditions;”
NEP 2020
“Instilling knowledge of India and its varied social, cultural, and
technological needs, its inimitable artistic, language, and knowledge
traditions, and its strong ethics in India’s young people is
considered critical for purposes of national pride, self-confidence,
self-knowledge, cooperation, and integration” [NEP 2020,
Introduction, p. 4]

7. o4.29 All curriculum and pedagogy, from the foundational stage onwards,
will be redesigned to be strongly rooted in the Indian and local
context and ethos in terms of culture, traditions, heritage,
customs, language, philosophy, geography, ancient and
contemporary knowledge, societal and scientific needs,
indigenous and traditional ways of learning etc. – in order to
ensure that education is maximally relatable, relevant, interesting,
and effective for our students. Stories, arts, games, sports,
examples, problems, etc. will be chosen as much as possible to
be rooted in the Indian and local geographic context. Ideas,
abstractions, and creativity will indeed best flourish when learning is thus
rooted”

8. English or Present system
and Bharatiya system
● Obedience
● Focus on Employment
● Creating a Selfish world
● Sustainability is not all
pervading
● Industrial age
● Unable to answer
questions about traditions
and local aspects
● Information focused
● Freedom to learn
● Focus on Man Making
education
● Creating a harmonious
world
● Sustainability is critical and
woven into all aspects
● inner growth age
● Integrated with traditions
and local community
● Life long learning
A new Swadeshi Movement
in Education with NEP2020

9. How to bring IKS into Commerce and Management
curriculum?
• Educational content - Curriculum, Examples, Pedagogy
• Culture of the Institution - Daily routine, events, dress code,
behaviour patterns
• Extra curricular activities
• Holistic development - emphasis on physical health/ Mental
health/ Social health/Learning
• Guru griha vasa - Experiential/ Role model/ Mentorship
/Personalised
• Connect with local industry/institutions/history/ way of life

10. Some background
Angus Maddison’s
(2003) work shows
that by the 1st
millennia CE,
India’s GDP had
acquired about
1/3rd to ½ of the
total world GDP.
The Golden Age of
India had reached
its peak during the
Gupta dynasty circa
6th century.
Many
thousands of
years of
economic
activity or
experience
Today -
Unorganized
sector is 3-4
times the size
of organized
sector in value
and maybe 10
times in
employment.
India Uninc
Most Indians
would prefer to
do something
on their own
We have a huge
reservoir of
knowledge,
case studies,
best practices,
etc.

11. Examples of IKS in Commerce Content
Ancient International Trade - India was the centre of the world
Double entry Accounting - history
Contemporary Business practices
Indian Business Models

12. International Trade history
The timeline - starting in 700 BCE
Trade Routes - Silk route, Cotton route
Supply chain - Ganges river supply chain, Caravans, Ships
Merchandise: Items imported / Exported

13. Origins of Double entry accounting
Accountancy -
“1.3 The earliest treatise on accounting is generally thought to be
Pacioli's Summar of 1494. However, Bahikhata (a double-entry
system of bookkeeping) predates the ‘Italian’ method by many
centuries. Its existence in India prior to the Greek and Roman
empires suggests that Indian traders took it with them to Italy,
and from there the double-entry system spread through Europe,”
BOMBAY CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT JOURNAL JULY 2018
Hemadri pant - Yadhav dynasty - Maharashtra - Mesthaks - 13th
century - accounting heads/day book
Partha system of financial control Artha shastra

14. Economics
Indian Economic models

15. What are the potential components of Bharatiya
Management in higher education content
concepts/ practices/ case studies which
are uniquely Indian and contemporary.
Concepts/ ideas/
constructs based on
India’s ancient
wisdom. Also,
history
Research methods
unique to India
01 02
03

16. Management concepts/ ideas/ constructs based on
India’s ancient wisdom
• Did ancient Indians have experience in Management?
Water/Kingdoms/Temples/ International trade
Are ancient ideas relevant for today's managers?
• Bharatiya sources used in a few Management Schools appear to be
Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Arthasashtra by
Chanakya/Kauthilya, Panchatantra, Tirukural etc.
• More recent material from Vivekananda, Gandhi, Shankara

17. Strategic Management

18. Another example
• What can we learn about motivation from
Ramayana?

19. Contemporary Management concepts/ practices/ case
studies which are uniquely Indian
• Case studies like – Arvind Eye, Kumbh Mela,
• Business Practices of Marwari, Chettier’s, Parsi’s
• Concepts such as Jugaad-frugal innovation
• Bottom of the pyramid opportunity – CKP – pioneers
MNC - HLL/Nirma/Wheel
• The unorganized sector is 82% of the workforce and
contributes 50% of GDP
Grand research opportunity - local and Hyper local
content can be generated

20. Indian methods of research
Value of reflection and personal experience
Not only western scientific method - rebirth research
Tapas

21. Major themes in Bhartiya thought relevant to
commerce and management
• Universalism - Vasudeva Kutumbakam
• Dharma and decision making – Contextuality
• Stories are a powerful medium as also Samavada – management
pedagogy
• Ethics
• Purpose – serva loka hitham – stakeholders
• Self management most important
• look at the root
cause of the
collapse of any
business !
Values are
critical

22. Sources for material on IKS
https://iksindia.org/index.php
https://indianculture.gov.in/indian-culture-repository
https://vedicheritage.gov.in/
https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/
https://management.cessedu.org/
https://indica.in/
https://www.bharatiyakritisampada.nic.in/

23. The Many Risks
• Interpretation of texts
• Nostalgic research
• Variations
• Absence of structured text books

24. Who can bring IKS into the classroom?
Curriculum developers following the NEP 2020 guidelines
Text book Authors
School Management / Leaders/ Institutional culture
Teacher - course material, local examples, pedagogy,
personal ethical behaviour ( behave like a Guru!)

25. Pedagogy needs to be directed at
● Shifting away from rote learning
● Preparing students with skills
● Preparing confident students with critical and
creative thinking abilities
● Foundational Language, literacy and
numeracy
● Reflection, enquiry, research
NEP

26. Grow from Teachers/Lecturers to Gurus
Teacher Guru
Information Experience
Knowing ( having learnt ) Being ( having experienced)
Transaction One way ! ( no way to return to Guru)
Addition Transformation ( Dwij)
Mind Connection Heart Connection
Vidyarthi Shishya
Most important for NEP 2020 to succeed

27. What can teachers do now?
● Research
● Research
● Research
● Start looking at every student as a individual with
potential /Sambhavya
● Incorporate aspects from Culture and tradition in the
classroom
● Build local network to help students learn
● Review Pedagogy
● Become a ‘Guru”

28. gpsudhakar@gmail.com