Introduction
The IKS Unit of The Neotia University is an interdisciplinary platform for curriculum integration, research, faculty development, student engagement, documentation, innovation, and outreach. The Unit coordinates existing Schools, Departments, and external expertise rather than being a parallel department. The model follows NEP 2020 and UGC directions on IKS and the IKS Division’s three broad pillars: Research & Knowledge Creation; Education, Curriculum, & Mentoring; and Outreach, Documentation & Dissemination. The Unit has begun with institutional resources and a focused three-year plan, with future progression to an IKS Research Centre, based on demonstrated academic activity, research output, collaborations, and funding.
Strategic Objectives
| Area |
Key objectives |
| Academic |
Develop interdisciplinary modules/courses (we may start with yoga of 2 credit course) |
| Research & Innovation |
Establish focused research clusters; seed projects; promote publications, dissertations, and contemporary applications. |
| Faculty Development |
Conduct orientation, FDP/refresher programs, workshops, source-reading circles and teaching-resource development. |
| Student Development |
Projects, internships, field immersion, competitions |
| Documentation |
Curated repository of texts, publications, oral/community knowledge, multimedia and teaching resources with provenance and review. |
| Outreach & Networking |
Lectures, exhibitions, annual colloquium, community engagement, MoUs and collaboration with scholars/practitioners. |
Institutional Structure & Governance
| Level |
Structure |
Function |
| 1 |
Vice-Chancellor |
Approval and strategic direction |
| 2 |
IKS Advisory Council (3-4) |
Academic oversight and annual review |
| 3 |
Coordinator |
Leadership, coordination and reporting |
Priority Thematic Areas
| Cluster |
Indicative scope |
| Yoga & Well-being |
Yoga and preventive health applications |
| Community Knowledge |
Culinary traditions |
The Unit should initially select some focused themes and review them periodically.
Core Academic, Research & Training Activities
- University-wide IKS mapping and three-year academic roadmap; development of credit/elective/value-added courses subject to academic approval.
- Faculty IKS orientation/FDP/refresher; primary-text reading circles; discipline-specific workshops and practitioner/scholar lectures.
- Interdisciplinary research groups, seed grants, student projects/dissertations, competitive funding proposals and annual research colloquium.
- Student IKS Forum, internships, field visits, documentation projects, quizzes/posters/innovation challenges and mentoring.
- Curated digital repository with source/provenance, metadata, peer review and appropriate copyright, consent, IP and ethical safeguards.
- Public lectures, exhibitions, school/community outreach and collaborations with universities, museums, archives, cultural institutions and knowledge holders.
Three-Year Implementation & KPIs
| Phase |
Priority actions |
Measurable outputs |
| Year 1 |
Notification; governance; faculty/resource mapping; repository; orientation; student forum; pilot courses; seed projects. |
20+ faculty trained; 3 research/seed projects; 3 expert events; 10 student projects/internships; 2 collaborations. |
| Year 2 |
Expand courses/FDP; field documentation; internships; publications; MoUs; annual colloquium. |
40+ cumulative faculty; 6 research projects; 20 student projects/internships; 4 collaborations. |
| Year 3 |
Consolidate themes; external funding; wider networking; impact review; consider centre upgrade. |
60+ cumulative faculty; 9 research projects; 40 student projects/internships; 6+ collaborations |
Expected Institutional Impact
- Structured implementation of the IKS vision of NEP 2020 and relevant UGC/IKS Division initiatives.
- Interdisciplinary curriculum development, faculty capacity building and student experiential learning.
- New research collaborations, publications, project proposals and IKS-inspired contemporary applications.
- Creation of a credible, curated institutional IKS repository and stronger community/cultural engagement.
- An evidence-based pathway for future recognition as a focused IKS Research Centre.
Policy Basis
UGC, Guidelines for Incorporating Indian Knowledge in Higher Education Curricula (2023); UGC, Guidelines for Training/Orientation of Faculty on IKS (2023); Ministry of Education/IKS Division, IKS Research Centre guidelines and policy resources.
