First in India: IIT-Kgp to roll out master’s course in Indian Knowledge System
Times of India | 27 December 2025
Kolkata: IIT Kharagpur is set to roll out a master's programme (MS) in Indian Knowledge System (IKS), the first such course in the country, in June 2026.
The course, being launched as part of the Platinum Jubilee Year celebrations of India's oldest IIT, will cover India's mathematical and scientific legacies and traditions, linguistic theories, holistic wellness and leadership values by blending classical Indic wisdom with contemporary academic rigour and modern scientific and technological perspectives.
The MS programme will initially have an intake capacity of 15.
"India's traditional knowledge systems were once deeply scientific, systematic, and future-oriented. This new master's programme at IIT Kharagpur integrates that rich legacy with AI-driven analysis and modern research methodologies, giving IKS a rigorous, contemporary, and globally impactful academic form," said director Suman Chakraborty.
"With this master's programme in Indian Knowledge Systems, IIT Kharagpur is creating a rare academic convergence — where ancient insights meet AI. This fusion not only restores lost dimensions of Indian knowledge but also equips them with modern analytical power, offering a distinctly Indian yet globally scalable model of innovation."
In 2021, the institute became the first IIT to establish a full-fledged Centre of Excellence for Indian Knowledge Systems. "The introduction of a dedicated master's programme in IKS, rooted in the institute's motto ‘Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam' (Excellence in action is Yoga), is a natural extension of this commitment. It addresses the growing national need to integrate Indian perspectives into higher education and research. It is unique and a first-of-a-kind course in Bharat," said Arijit De, chairperson of CoE-IKS.
The programme will start with ‘Sanskrit Appreciation Studies', focusing on the development of a foundational linguistic competence, literary sensitivity, and computational relevance through phonology, constructive approach, and modern applications.
De said, "Holistic wellbeing from the Indic perspective views health as an integrated mind-body-consciousness system — drawing on Yoga, Vedānta, and ayurveda — to address concepts of balance, positive emotions, lifestyle practices, neuroplasticity, stress management and emotional intelligence, which is an urgent requirement in modern society."
The module on ‘Awakened Leadership with Indian Values' emphasises self-governance, ethical leadership, sustainability, compassion, and ecological responsibility inspired by Indian philosophical and literary sources such as Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra, Bhagavadgita, Vidra-nīti and Itihāsa and concepts like ‘vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam' (the world is one family). , ‘śreyas-preyas', ‘sukha-ānanda' and ‘ārya-aṣṭāṅga-mārga'.
Students will also get to learn mathematical skills, algorithm reasoning, trigonometry and astronomy rooted in classical Indian philosophy, while situating these traditions in the context of contemporary AI modelling.
"Communication theories rooted in Indian linguistics combine Pāṇinian grammar, semantics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, and śābdabodha theories with modern Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools and AI applications to enhance effective spoken and written communication," De said.
"Apart from theory papers, a novel Indic Knowledge Innovations Lab will provide hands-on experiential learning through speech production studies, astro-mathematical observations, language comprehension, NLP and AI experiments, and neuro-phenomenological research, integrating traditional Indic concepts with contemporary scientific methodologies to foster interdisciplinary understanding, innovation, and entrepreneurship skills rooted in our culturally rich heritage and knowledge."
In compliance with NEP 2020, De said, the institute has launched an "elective offering micro-specialisation on the same line of thought" to UG students to encourage them to "pursue Bharatiya thought, values and ethics". Students will get to choose the elective from the Jan semester.