“Indian knowledge heritage is very vast. This knowledge heritage can be seen not only in art, language and literature but also in science and technology,” Vice-Chancellor of Gulbarga University Dayananda Agsar has said.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of the two-day national workshop on Indian Knowledge Systems organised by the Central University of Karnataka (CUK) near Kalaburagi on Saturday.
“Indians should not be blind to the Indian traditional knowledge heritage. Our knowledge should be used according to contemporary needs. It is hence very important to create awareness about Indian knowledge heritage,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor of Sharnbasva University Niranjan Nisty, who was the guest of honour at the event, pointed out the contributions made by the Indian sages to the field of medicine and hailed Ayurveda as a complete property of Indians.
“It [Ayurveda] can help to solve contemporary challenges. We have to preserve and use it,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Karnataka Battu Satyanarayana, who presided over the event, advised against suspecting the Indian knowledge system without reasons.
“We should not also limit it to Sanskrit literature and language. All the Indian languages and literature have immensely contributed to the Indian knowledge system. Along with Western knowledge, we should use our knowledge system for the nation’s development. For that, there is a need to ensure that at least 10% of our syllabus is dedicated to studying Indian knowledge system,” he said.
Convener of the programme and Director, Academics, Basavaraj P. Donur said that Indian knowledge heritage is ancient and has stood the test of time.
“Being Indians, it is not right for us to ignore our knowledge heritage and look at it with suspicion. Knowledge is universal. There is a need to Indianise the curriculum. Westernisation of Indian knowledge must stop. Western knowledge heritage should not be denied. But it is not worth believing that it is final. We do not find authors like Vyasa, Valmiki and Kalidasa in any language. Such authors exist in all Indian languages,” he said.
Event organising secretary Chaitanya, faculty member Basavaraja Kubakaddi and others were present.
