Our civilisation has always embraced logical reasoning and scientific inquiry in education, as evident in the time-tested practices of the ancient Indian gurukul system.
Beyond the common perceptions of chanting hymns to nature, practicing meditation and yoga, collecting alms, and taking part in community cooking, students in ancient India were taught foundational concepts that later developed into the six Astika schools of Indian philosophy that broadly fell under:
1) Nyaya (logic and reasoning)
2) Samkhya (rational analysis)
3) Vaisheshika (particularity)
4) Mimamsa (critical inquiry)
5) Yoga (discipline/union)
6) Vedanta (ultimate knowledge)
Learning encompassed multiple modes of enquiry, including pratyakṣa (perception), anumāna (inference), upamāna (analogy and comparison), arthāpatti (postulation based on context), śabda (authoritative verbal testimony), and anupalabdhi (non-perception or absence-based inference).
Upon reaching the stage of career development, students could pursue specialised training aligned with their strengths – whether in martial arts, ritual conduct, medicine, or other fields.
Education, in its ideal form, was a foundation for life’s paths, shaped by personal ability and preference.
As India transitioned from the Puranic to the post-Vedic period, pedagogy shifted from being centred around a single, all-knowing seer to a more specialised form of instruction, as manifested in institutions like Taxila University in Gandhara (600 BCE–500 CE).
The university offered around 70 electives across diverse fields such as the Vedas, grammar, philosophy, medicine, surgery, accounting, commerce, documentation, archery, politics, warfare, astrology, astronomy, the occult, music, dance, and languages.
These disciplines were taught by expert practitioners, including Panini (renowned for codifying Sanskrit grammar), Jivaka (a master of medicine), and distinguished alumni-turned-faculty such as Vishnu Sharma (compiler of the Panchatantra) and Chanakya (author of the Arthashastra).
Liberal Studies refers to an interdisciplinary undergraduate programme that offers students the flexibility to explore a combination of subjects such as literature, philosophy, mathematics, and various branches of social, physical, and environmental sciences.
Liberal Studies encourages a holistic approach to education by allowing students to engage with a wide array of subjects. This breadth of opportunities not only nurtures their passions but also opens doors to new professional avenues.
Distinguished Indians such as Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Indira Gandhi, Satyajit Ray, and Anand Mahindra exemplify the value of such an interdisciplinary foundation.