The Valmiki Research Centre (VRC) at Ramanarayanam in Vizianagaram has launched an initiative to establish Indian Knowledge System (IKS) clubs for school students, with the aim of introducing them to Indian heritage, culture and traditions.
The initiative will begin in North Andhra and is expected to expand to other regions, according to the centre.
The proposed clubs will provide students with opportunities to learn about different aspects of Indian knowledge and cultural traditions through activities and programmes outside the regular classroom curriculum.
The Valmiki Research Centre was established at Ramanarayanam in collaboration with the National Sanskrit University, Tirupati, in 2024. The centre conducts academic programmes and research related to the Ramayana and describes its work as covering the epic's philosophical, ethical and cultural dimensions.
Focus on Indian knowledge traditions
The IKS initiative comes amid a wider push to incorporate Indian knowledge traditions into education. The National Education Policy 2020 calls for greater inclusion of Indian knowledge systems, languages, arts and cultural traditions in education.
The Ministry of Education's IKS Division has also promoted activities in schools around areas such as indigenous games, local arts, traditional crafts, languages and cultural practices.
The Valmiki Research Centre has previously undertaken programmes aimed at studying and disseminating knowledge associated with the Ramayana. Its current academic offerings include certificate and diploma courses in Ramayana studies as well as research programmes. The centre is affiliated with the National Sanskrit University, Tirupati.
The centre was inaugurated in September 2024 and was established by the NCS Charitable Trust in collaboration with the National Sanskrit University. The Ramanarayanam campus includes representations of episodes from the Valmiki Ramayana through sculptures and murals in Telugu, Hindi and English.
The IKS clubs will extend the centre's outreach to school students, with the stated objective of giving younger learners greater exposure to Indian heritage and knowledge traditions. Details on the number of schools joining the initiative, the curriculum for the clubs and the rollout schedule were not specified in the available announcement.