The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has launched a Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems. Among the topics, students will also study Vāstu and Śilpa-śāstra.

The centre was inaugurated by Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President, Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Kumar Tuhin, Director General, Indian Council of Cultural Relations.

The Centre will focus on Mathematics and Astronomy in India, Architectural Engineering, Vāstu and Śilpa-śāstra, Indian Political and Economic Thought, Indian Aesthetics and Grammatical Traditions.

The Centre plans to host workshops to familiarize school teachers and students regarding various aspects of Indian Knowledge Systems. The Centre plans to reach out to the public via popular writings, social media posts.

Among its other agendas, the Centre aims to publish quality research related to Indian Knowledge Systems, and to disseminate the findings by hosting academic seminars and conferences. The research will involve collaborations with outside scholars and institutions.

Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President, Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), emphasized the need for a deeper study of India’s contribution to the world in the fields of science, technology, architecture, linguistics, arts, culture, economics, and politics, among other areas, and for disseminating the findings to the broader public.

Kumar Tuhin, Director General, ICCR, discussed the importance of collaboration between CIKS, IIT Madras and ICCR for creating an awareness among international audiences regarding India’s rich heritage and culture.

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