In a move that underscores its commitment to cultural rootedness and academic self-determination, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) has decided to replace the term “Indian Knowledge System” with “Bharatiya Knowledge System (BKS)”, asserting that the term ‘India’ carries colonial baggage.
This conscious shift in language, according to Vice Chancellor Professor Anu Singh Lather, is more than a semantic choice—it reflects a philosophical and historical realignment grounded in indigenous heritage.
“India is a Foreign Word”: A Cultural Repositioning
Speaking in an interview with PTI, Prof. Lather explained,
“The word India itself is a foreign construct. It does not belong to our civilizational vocabulary. By choosing to use ‘Bharatiya’ instead, we’re reclaiming ownership of our intellectual traditions and identities.”
The decision is part of a larger institutional strategy to embed indigenous perspectives within the framework of higher education and to assert India’s intellectual heritage on its terms rather than through inherited colonial narratives.
54 Mandatory BKS Courses Rolled Out Across Disciplines
AUD has recently approved 54 compulsory courses under the Bharatiya Knowledge System, which will be integrated across multiple undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
These courses span a wide range of departments, including history, heritage management, law, political philosophy, and literature.
Importantly, these are not elective or value-added modules, but mandatory subjects that aim to infuse indigenous knowledge systems into the core curriculum.
Prof. Lather noted that this initiative is not a superficial addition, but a deeply researched and academically rigorous effort.
“We spent almost two years curating and refining these courses. Every reference cited in the material is rooted in primary sources—be it the Upanishads, Mahabharata, Arthashastra, or ancient treatises on science and governance—right down to the exact chapter, verse, and line,” she said.
Themes Include Political Philosophy, Bhakti as Gyaan, Yoga, Law, and Aesthetics
The BKS curriculum spans a broad intellectual spectrum. Course themes include:
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Foundational Bharatiya political thought
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Yoga and the Self: A Metaphysical Inquiry
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Bhakti as a form of knowledge (Gyaan)
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Indian aesthetics and classical art traditions
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Traditional legal systems and jurisprudence
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Ancient Indian science and technological innovations