Traditional Indian knowledge not religiosity, BSB preparing students to be what they want: Singh
INTERVIEW
PARITOSH KIMOTHI / New Delhi
Traditional Indian knowledge is often misunderstood as religiosity though it factually entails the inventions and knowledge of Bharatiya civilisation in science, technology and various other fields. Tackling this misconception, the Bhartiya Shiksha Board (BSB) is working to educate students to become anything from entrepreneurs and scientists to appearing in competitive examinations with at least 300 schools across India securing affiliation for classes till XII during the past two years. The BSB curriculum is aimed at enabling students for knowledge creation and finding meaningful solutions to contemporary concerns, the BSB executive chairman NP Singh said in an exclusive interaction with The Pioneer.
Speaking about the board’s activities during the past two years, Singh said, “I have held about 200 workshops across the nation with schools and other stakeholders, and have received an enthusiastic response. However, our nation is huge so it will take time to make all Indians aware of the BSB and what it offers. A major challenge we face is the misconception that traditional Indian knowledge consists of religiosity. The BSB is working to undo the fallacy that education is meant only to secure a job and focusing on enabling the student for knowledge creation and finding meaningful solutions to contemporary concerns. We were curators of knowledge at a global level till about 500 years ago. Since our mainstream education has become job-centric instead of inculcating innovation and entrepreneurship, we must keep pace with the latest technology while retaining our roots.
We understand that education is a mutual enrichment and exploration which benefits both the teacher and the taught. We were innovators and knowledge creators who influenced the ptoged after the 11th century. The imperialists superimposed colonial ideas on our advanced systems and for about 180 years now we have been following an education system constructed by European imperialists aimed at preparing servants for the colonialists. That is also why our bureaucracy still has a colonial mindset with bureaucrats still not behaving like public servants,” he said.
Singh clarified that the BSB is about merging the best of traditional knowledge with latest developments to prepare students to do what they want, from becoming scientists or entrepreneurs to appearing in competitive examinations. He said that since 70 per cent of traditional knowledge exists in Sanskrit, it makes sense to learn it. “It is the pragmatic ideas and approach of the BSB which has motivated 300 schools upto class XII and 1,000 schools till class VIII to affiliate with us so far. We aim to beautifully weave traditional wisdom into modern knowledge in a way which does not burden the students,” Singh said.
Regarding the response received to BSB so far, he said that even in the Srinagar valley in Kashmir, his workshop was attended for hours by teachers who were not really aware of their own history. “They actually asked me to continue post-lunch too. Three schools in Srinagar alone have applied to us for affiliation. We are training school teachers and are also aiming to address the guardians of the students. I can state with evidence that even the NCERT has oriented the content of its curriculum to some extent, whether it be influenced by us or not,” the BSB executive chairman said. About the board’s future expectations, he said, “Factually, the creation of the BSB and its work so far has sown the seed of revival. It will take a few decades to practically bring Indian traditional knowledge back to its position while also merging it with modern education. However, the process has begun and I am confident that we will attain the situation wherein the best of traditional knowledge and modern education are utilised to achieve what is best for the students and the nation,” he added.
