Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is all set to host its first-ever annual academic conference on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) from July 10 to 12 at the university’s convention centre. The event is a collaborative effort between JNU and the Indian Knowledge Systems Heritage Alliance (IKSHA), with sponsorship from the Union Ministry of Ayush, the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), and the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
Vice-President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, will inaugurate the three-day conference, which promises to be a landmark event in the promotion and academic study of Indian traditional knowledge. Prominent personalities such as Union Minister for Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are scheduled to speak at the event.
Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit emphasized the university’s vision of integrating Indian knowledge systems into mainstream academic discourse. “We are willing to take the Indian knowledge system to a global level as it is the first step towards discourse creation, self-awareness, and narrative building,” she said. Pandit added that this initiative is not limited to JNU but will contribute to a broader transformation in the Indian and global education ecosystem. She also underscored JNU’s aim to lead in knowledge creation from a Bharatiya perspective.
According to Yugank Goyal, a representative of IKSHA, there is a growing need to reframe the understanding of India through the lens of its own civilizational ethos. “As Bharat rises in global affairs, it becomes imperative to understand India from the perspective of Indians themselves,” he said.
The conference will feature an impressive academic programme, including over 100 peer-reviewed paper presentations, 17 focused sessions, plenary talks, and panel discussions on a wide range of themes related to Indian epistemologies, philosophy, sciences, and cultural traditions. The keynote speakers include Manjul Bhargava, a renowned mathematician from Princeton University, and Kapil Kapoor, a distinguished scholar associated with IKSHA.
The event is expected to draw academicians, researchers, policy-makers, and students from across the country and abroad, marking a significant step toward reclaiming and revitalizing indigenous intellectual traditions.
With this initiative, JNU positions itself as a pioneering academic hub that seeks to bridge ancient Indian wisdom with contemporary research, fostering a deeper and more authentic global engagement with India’s civilizational legacy.
