Introduction to IKS

Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) - Introduction

Long History: IKS has a very long history, tied to the enduring Indian civilization (estimated 5,000 - 8,000 years or even "time immemorial" by some indigenous sources).
Accumulated Knowledge: A long civilization naturally accumulates a vast body of knowledge. This is a straightforward idea.
Examples of Accumulated Knowledge:
- Wootz Steel: Used in Damascus blades. Its exact composition and properties couldn't be replicated by later metallurgists.
- Number Systems, Mathematics, Astronomy: Indian contributions in these areas percolated into the West through the Arabic region in the first millennium CE.
Oral Transmission: Ancient knowledge was primarily preserved and transmitted orally until relatively recent centuries (before widespread paper and printing).
Disruption in Transmission: Introduction of major changes in education (~200 years ago) led to an abrupt end to this oral knowledge transmission; continuity was almost lost.

Diverse Interpretations: IKS is often seen in many ways: mythology, religion, blind faith, science, or meta-science.
Dominant View: A prevalent view is that IKS is largely extinct, incomprehensible, uninteresting, or too difficult to understand.
Perceived Uses: Some see it as useful only for chanting mantras/rituals, or as mere glorification of the past, with no material benefits.
Skepticism: Questions are raised about its relevance to modern problems, e.g., "Will it feed the poor?".
Translation: Some believe translating IKS into other languages is sufficient, obviating the need to study the original texts.

Indirect Benefits: IKS (like technology) can have indirect benefits.
- Example: A satellite for climate observation can indirectly improve food production through improved agriculture.
IKS's Potential: IKS can also offer ideas that indirectly lead to solving modern problems.
Avoiding the extremes: The goal isn't to just glorify the past, abandon it completely, or use it only religiously.

Solving Old Problems
- The problems we see today (business, government, societal issues) existed in the past.
- Our ancestors found ways to solve problems, and there is value in understanding their methods.
Path Dependence: Progress is built on what has come before. Knowing what happened before is necessary to understand where to go.
Economic Security & National Pride: Protecting traditional knowledge is crucial for economic security and national pride.
Documentation: Documenting traditional knowledge provides evidence of prior knowledge and is important for intellectual property claims.

Neem Patent: An US company patented neem as a pesticide, despite its long-standing traditional use in India. India failed to get the patent cancelled because of lack of documentation.
Turmeric Patent: The US Patent Technology Office initially granted a patent for turmeric powder for wound healing, which the CSIR had to actively fight. This demonstrated that such knowledge existed before this patent.

Defining Context: IKS defines the context for various aspects of daily life.
Manifestation of Intellectual Achievement: It reflects the intellectual achievements of past generations.
Continuity of Thought: Continuity with these thoughts is necessary to make further progress.
Avoiding Reinventing the Wheel: It helps in avoiding unnecessary repetition of past efforts.
Global Intellectual Property: It is crucial for intellectual property, regulation, and patent laws, especially in a global context.
Identity & Culture: IKS provides a sense of identity and culture.
Economic Value: It preserves received wisdom and can have economic value (like patents).

First-Hand Understanding: The course aims to understand IKS by first looking into the primary texts.
Exploring New Paradigms: The goal is to explore new paradigms based on the knowledge that our ancestors accumulated.

IKS is not just about the past; it has relevance to present and future.
It is vital to study the original sources of IKS.
It is more important to critically understand IKS than to simply accept or reject it.