JNU to host first academic conference on Indian knowledge systems
Announcing the conference at a press briefing, JNU vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said the event is being organised in collaboration with the Indian Knowledge Systems Heritage Alliance (IKSHA), the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), and the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
According to the university, vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar will inaugurate the conference, while Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will attend the valedictory session as chief guest.
'We are willing to take the Indian knowledge system to a global level. It is the first step towards discourse creation, self-awareness and narrative building. This opportunity is not limited to JNU, but it will be a part of a larger education ecosystem in India and the West,' the V-C said.
Pandit said unlike western philosophical ideology which has a conquest mindset towards nature, the Indic philosophy believes in living with harmony. 'India should reclaim and build its own knowledge system, we have a tradition of oral and listening systems. The National Education Policy, 2020 is in line with it,' she said.
The theme of the conference is 'The Resurgence of IKS: Finding what we have, learning what we learnt'.
Pandit said the event will serve as a launchpad for deeper academic engagement with Bharatiya Jnana Parampara (Indian knowledge traditions), with JNU aiming to lead in both knowledge creation and resource building from an Indic perspective.
The university received over 600 extended abstracts from more than 120 institutions. Out of these, over 100 papers have been selected for presentation across 17 focused sessions, based on originality, academic rigour, and relevance to the field of IKS.
Professor Yugank Goyal, representing IKSHA, explained that the selection process involved a two-stage review. 'First, authors submitted extended abstracts. Those accepted were then invited to submit full drafts for final review,' he said.
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