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1. Dr. G P Sudhakar
Centre for Educational and Social Studies, Bengaluru
Integrating Indian
Knowledge System
into Commerce and
Business Textbooks

2. After lunch wake up quiz!
• Kanji Malam – Mandvi port
• Gathapathi Saddalputra, -500 to 300 BC - Sreni
• Huvishka Kushan Reign 150–180 CE
• Chulla Setti - Jataka
• Fateh Chand - Jagath Seth title 1723
• Virji Vora 1619-1670
Sir William
James Ashley
(25 February
1860 – 23 July
1927)

3. Some Punjabi stories as an example - You
already know many more
• Prakash Tandon
• Gurbaksh Chahal
• Harindarpal Banga
• Yogesh Chander Deveshwar
• Oswal to Monte Carlo
• First business of Munjal brothers…growth trajectory
• Bonn Bread - 600 crore
• Mother Sparsh - 15 crore
• Bharwan Dhabha - 106 yrs -5 crore

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. IKS in the mandate for curriculum framework
3. Why IKS?
4. What is IKS for Commerce and Management? - My opinion
5. Where and how can we incorporate IKS in high school?
6. Who can bring IKS into the classroom?
7. When - NOW - no slide !
8. Sources and risks
9. Collection of Ideas on incorporating IKS in high school
textbooks
10. Endnote on textbooks

6. IKS in the National Education Policy (NEP)
“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. 4.29 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”
“An engaging course on Indian Knowledge Systems will also be available
to students in secondary school as an elective.” [NEP 2020, 4.27]
IKS in the National Education Policy (NEP)

8. IKS in Mandate for Curriculum Framework
2.2 Major paradigm shifts in school education
recommended by the NEP 2020
(e) Rootedness in India; (f) Criticality of the culture of
schools and the system for achieving educational goals;
2.3 Some key deliverables of the new curriculum
(c) A rootedness and pride in India.
(d) A sense of service (Seva) to others in need, to one’s
country, and to the world.

9. Why IKS?
Correcting a historical mistake
Develops Pride and self confidence in the learners
African countries and China have done substantial research on Indigenous knowledge integration into
the curriculum - Findings are very clear - Substantial value add to understanding, retention and real
connect with the content
The content available is substantial, unique, and very useful in today's world
Different perspective than the western paradigm

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
We have a huge
reservoir of
knowledge, case
studies, best
practices, etc.

11. What are the potential components for IKS in High
School textbooks?
Management concepts/ practices/ case studies
which are uniquely Indian and contemporary.
Management concepts/
ideas/ constructs based on
India’s ancient wisdom.
Ancient Indian Commerce -
history, practices,
composition - trade routes
included
01 02
03

12. 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 and
Mahabharata
Arthasashtra by
Chanakya/Kauthilya
Panchatantra, Tirukural etc.
More recent material
from
Vivekananda
Gandhi
Shankara

13. Strategic Management

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

15. Ancient Indian Commerce - history, practices,
composition - trade routes included.
International trade routes from India
Famous merchants and guild leaders from Ancient India
Corporate structure in ancient India - Guilds - guild leadership and governance
Agriculture and labour in ancient India
Roads, river ways, Caravans ( ancient supply chain )
Courses, books and articles on “Prachin Vanijya” are readily available including at
www.indianculture.gov.in

16. Contemporary Management concepts/ practices/ case
studies which are uniquely Indian
Contemporary practices
• 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
Unorganized sector
• It is 82% of the workforce and
contributes 50% of GDP
• This is a great opportunity
area for research. Many
cases, concepts unique to
India are not well documented
– selling techniques,
accounting, financial
management, innovation
there is plenty of unique and
valuable Bhartiya way.
• Local and hyper local content
is possible with some
research
Most Important Slide

17. Where and How can we incorporate IKS in high
school? Text books and beyond!
Text books on courses based on IKS - as lessons, examples, Stories, Projects, Field visits in
commerce and management
Parts of books of traditional commerce and management courses like accounting,
economics
Text books on common courses based on IKS like Self development
Institutional Culture - Celebrating national festivals as a learning opportunity, behaving
ethically to lead by example, using Indian clothes, morning assembly with Shanti mantras,
time and training in meditation and reflection
Local network - internships, guest lectures, development of local content

18. 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!)

19. 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 – objective/subjective
Self management most important in management
Management is about Skills and Values – not just skills – look at the root cause of the collapse of any
business !

20. Origins of Double entry accounting
Accountancy - Class 11
“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

21. Business Sustainability
Class 11 Business Studies - Chapter 6 Social Responsibilities of
Business and Business Ethics
Economic
development
without
destroying
the
environment
The
importance
for mother
nature and
coexistence
in Indian
philosophy/A
ncient
wisdom -
Bhoomi
Suktha /
Purusharthas
100 year old
companies -
Tata/Godrej/
TVS and their
business
practices
Local
examples like
Barwan
Dhaba,
Oswal
Gandhiji -
Trusteeship
concept -
Bajaj
Secondary
research is
enough as
many journal
articles are
available

22. Economics

23. 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/

24. THE MANY RISKS
Interpretation
of texts
Nostalgic
research
Variations
Absence of
structured
text books

25. Excerpt from Position Paper on National Focus Group On
Curriculum, Syllabus And Textbooks, NCERT 2006
“The present day classroom practices are, in almost all schools of the country,
totally dominated by the textbooks. As a result it has acquired an aura and a
standard format. What is needed is not a single textbook but a package of teaching
learning material that could be used to engage the child in active learning. The
textbook thus becomes a part of this package and not the only teaching learning
material. Therefore, a large number of packages should be developed at state and
district levels with adequate provision for cluster and school level modifications
and supplementary materials. The availability of a number of alternative TLM
packages of all approved quality to the certainly increased choice of the teachers”.

26. gpsudhakar@gmail.com