Launch of IKS Division’s Initiatives For New IKS Centers, Research Proposals and Student Internships Opportunities Through IKS’s Online Portal
New Delhi: Indian Knowledge Systems, MoE at All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), has launched three initiatives namely Proposals for New IKS Centres, Competitive Research proposals and Student Internships Program.
An online event was conducted on 21st January, 2022 in the presence of eminent members AICTE Chairman Professor Anil Sahasrabudhe, IKS Division Team including National Coordinator Prof. G. S. Murthy, Coordinator Prof. Anuradha Choudry, Dr. Sanjeev Panchal, Shri Anurag Deshpande and Shri Shreyas Kurhekar.
The IKS Centres programme is designed to encourage and fund the establishment of IKS Centres across the country with a view to catalyze original research, education and dissemination of the IKS knowledge. The goal of the IKS Centres is to act as a catalyst for initiating research, education, and outreach activities in various parts of the country. The IKS activities are currently dispersed around many places in the country. There is a strong need to establish centers in the country in traditional schools and STEM educational institutes to focus on these efforts. This initiative will address this critical need of establishing IKS centers, enabling Indian youth to learn and leverage our traditional practices as well. Under this scheme, the IKS Division will provide a funding support of Rs 30-40 lacs over two years to the institute to establish the centre and conduct related activities.
The Competitive Grants programme of the Indian Knowledge Systems is designed to encourage and fund research studies that will contribute to the research mission of the IKS Division. Our goal is to make catalytic grants that encourage original, serious, and deep scholarly investigations in Indian Knowledge Systems and rejuvenate IKS research in India. The funds available to support the Competitive Grants programme are discretionary funds provided by the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India to support the activities of the IKS Division. The level of funding available for the programme
each year is determined by the MoE, Govt. of India. Each proposal call of the division will focus on specific thematic areas identified with the help of IKS experts the guidance of the IKS community. Under this scheme the IKS Division will provide a funding support of Rs 10-20 lacs to the eligible PIs of various institutions.
There is a strong need to promote IKS in the country in traditional schools and STEM educational institutes which will be addressed by the IKS Internship programme. The programme is designed to encourage and enthuse youth to take up deeper study of various topics related to IKS. The focus is to create opportunities for students to contribute and be involved in active research during the summer breaks or anytime during the year. The applications for internships are being solicited through a country-wide open application process. Selected students will be paired with IKS experts who have vast experience in that field. The interns are expected to work on short research projects, activities/workshops, etc. as suggested by the IKS Division in consultation with the experts. Under this scheme each intern will be awarded a stipend (about Rs. 25000) for the duration of two months as per exiting AICTE norms.
The IKS Division has launched these new initiatives to promote interdisciplinary research activities. Furthermore, it seeks to encourage the study of traditional concepts, methods, technologies, or approaches using modern tools and approaches wherever necessary, to find sustainable indigenous solutions to contemporary societal problems based on a deeper understanding of Indian Knowledge Systems. Interested candidates and experts are invited to visit the website of the IKS Division (https://iksindia.org/) for registrations and for more information on the various initiatives of the IKS Division and its activities.