Relevance Of Indian Epistemological Traditions in Reshaping the Modern Education System

Abstract

In light of the recent educational policy in India, interest in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) has been revived. However, the mere policy recognition does not suffice in explaining how philosophical ideas ought to find their way into contemporary classrooms. This study focuses on whether selected Indian epistemological traditions can contribute to a system of education which is reflective, dialogic, ethically attentive and learner centred. Through qualitative document analysis, it uses scholarship on Nyāya, Vedānta, Sāṁkhya-Yoga, Buddhism and Jainism along with the National Educational Policy 2020, National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, and relevant literature on education. The analysis points to the recurrent availability of four varieties of educational resource disciplined inquiry into the grounds of knowledge; the understanding that different types of claim need different kinds of justification; learning through dialogue, experience and reflection; and a close relationship between knowledge, conduct and responsibility. Classroom debate, comparative reasoning, reflective practice, interdisciplinary project and assessment, which values explanation as well as recall. Nonetheless, precautions are necessary for their utilization. Indian traditions are internally diverse and should not be presented as a singular creed. Historical systems must not be romanticized or de-linked from questions of caste, gender, access and power. Empirical claims of a traditional source must remain open to contemporary norms of evidence. Hence, the paper argues for critical integration, and not restoration or symbolic inclusion. It suggests a phased framework utilizing curriculum mapping, teacher training, offer small-scale trials, include review and evidence-based evaluation. When Indian epistemological traditions are taught comparatively, translated into age-appropriate pedagogies and placed in conversation with contemporary knowledge rather than as substitutes for it, they can enrich modern education.