Aryabhatta and Susruta might soon be a part of Indian liberal arts course

• The Indian government is considering to rope in ancient philosophy in liberal arts courses.
• It may integrate teachings of philosophers including Panini, Susruta, Aryabhata, Bhaskaracharya and Patanjali.
• The new education policy was released for public opinion on May 31 and it received over 200,000 suggestions.

The Indian government is considering to rope in ancient philosophy in its liberal arts courses.

“These rich legacies to world heritage must not only be nurtured and preserved for posterity, but also enhanced and put to new uses through our education system,” the ministry noted.

The Human Resource and Development Ministry (MHRD) may integrate teachings from philosophers including Panini, Susruta, Aryabhata, Bhaskaracharya and Patanjali. This is if the new education policy goes through.

“They made seminal contributions to world knowledge in diverse fields such as mathematics, astronomy, metallurgy, medical science and surgery, civil engineering and architecture, shipbuilding and navigation, yoga, fine arts, chess, and more. The Indian religion and philosophy has had a strong influence on the world,” Mint reported citing the final draft of the education policy.

The ministry said that this will help address the need for education to prepare for life, which is beyond gaining knowledge and schooling.

The policy, which was a part of the ruling BJP government’s agenda during 2014 elections has now m laid down a six-point roadmap for its implementation.

With roughly 300 million students across 1.4 million schools and 900 universities, India contributes nearly 3% of GDP to education. The new education policy was released for public opinion on May 31 and it received over 200,000 suggestions.

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