Vedic Maths — History, importance, relevance in today's curriculum

There are a lot of misconceptions around Vedic Maths.

While some consider it rooted in ancient wisdom due to its name, others dismiss the discipline for the very same reason.

Vedic Mathematics is simply a 1965 book that contains a series of 16 sutras (formulae) and 13 sub-sutras (corollaries) that are essentially word equations that can help one easily solve Math problems that would have otherwise been time-consuming and difficult for most people.

The reason Vedic Math has gained so much popularity in recent years is that it simplifies Math problems to the point of its practitioners being able to solve them entirely in their minds.

These word problems include basic Math concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division as well as more advanced ones such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probability, calculus, and so on. 

The applications of these concepts are not limited to pure Math, but can be helpful in the study of multiple disciplines such as engineering, medicine, and astronomy.

This means that Vedic Math can not only simplify Math for those who study it, but also open up career opportunities for students.

I wholeheartedly believe that the wheel needs to keep getting re-invented with a keen eye on the needs of every new generation.

As a lifelong learner, educator, and technologist, I am constantly looking for better, newer, and more efficient ways of doing something.

Over the last decade, as I built technology for multiple uses, I reflected a lot on my own time in school and college and what I learned and how I learned it.

Growing up in a very small town in Bihar where there were hardly any computers to acing at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and computer science and building technology ensured that I had a very wide range of firsthand experiences to draw on.

As we interacted and learned from the experiences of millions of kids across the world, we realised how pervasive Math anxiety is among children in every country we went to, and how this anxiety was keeping children from seriously pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), which was limiting their overall life potential.

From there it was a short journey to figuring out how we can help students get rid of this Math fear.

And that's how we built our own specialised and individualised Vedic Math curricululm that takes into account each child's innate interests, learning level, and pace of learning. 

We are currently operational in around 30 countries. While most countries have all seven of our offerings (Artificial Intelligence - AI, coding, robotics, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, Vedic Maths, and communications) being delivered, our immediate goal is to ensure equal ease of access across all our target markets.

This means we want to be able to deliver courses in customisable permutations and combinations to cater to students' interests in a cost-effective manner for their parents while ensuring that they stay engaged with their learning.

This also means giving students the ability to learn only online, only offline, and through a hybrid combination. We have partnerships with over 100 schools in India for offline next-gen learning labs and summer camps, and we want to increase this footprint substantially in the next 18 months.

And finally, we are working on building the next version of our AI learning platform for children that will enable an unprecedented level of customisation and individualisation of their curriculum to support both in-class learning and self-learning outside of the classroom.