Loreto College

On 12th February, 2026, a one-day National Seminar on the Pedagogy of IKS was held in collaboration between the Department of B.Ed and the Department of Education, Loreto College, Kolkata. The seminar commenced with the Inaugural Session, consisting of the opening address by Dr Suparna Ghosh, Head of Department on B.Ed, where she highlighted the importance of the IKS in the context of pedagogical practices. This was followed by the enunciation of the Seminar’s concept note by Dr N. Dang, laying forth the aims, objectives and purpose of the agenda.
The First Business Session’s theme was on ‘IKS and Traditional Wisdom’. It began with Dr Suchandra Ghosh’s distinct take on the resource evidence of IKS-related content. She stressed the need to inculcate the study of inscriptions along with textual sources within the IKS curriculum in building a broader understanding of Ancient Indian Knowledge and socio-cultural practices. Dr Kanad Sinha spoke on the essence of ‘knowledge’ and ‘knowledge systems’ in the tradition of Western historiography, commending the effort of the IKS as a project of decolonisation from the colonial educational framework that had begun from the time of India’s Independence.  The session concluded with an engaging lecture by eminent scholar and Professor Ranabir Chakravarti, who questioned the time frame for inclusion and exclusion of certain strands of Indian knowledge production under IKS. His opinion on the scope of meticulous policy revision harped on the need for careful revision and policy review.
The Second Business Session, themed ‘IKS and Contemporary Learning’, focused on how IKS can be incorporated into the pedagogy of teaching practices. The first speaker, Mr Dheeraj Mehrotra, provided a crucial aspect of how the IKS could be an exemplar in promoting character-building education to students. Dr Debasri Banerjee showcased the interconnection between the principles of IKS and the modern pedagogical practices through the meticulous observation of common objectives. 
The Third Session consisted of paper presentations by faculty and students. Professor Madhumita Basu, from the Department of English, Victoria College, presented a paper on the topic ‘ IKS and Resilience in the Manasa Mangal Kavyas’ where she portrayed the conscious need of strategic literary sources embedded in the indigenous knowledge system and culture, to teach students the interconnectedness of women empowerment, dialogue and lived experiences of those in the periphery. Miss Srimanti Dutta, a student of the Department of B.Ed, Loreto College. Spoke on the economic perspective of the effectiveness of the IKS as an educational strategy to build teaching pedagogy in tune with the NEP 2020. The thread on economising human capital through consistent, engaging education planning aligned with IKS's objectives. The final presentation, by Miss Amiya Kar, Department of B.Ed, Loreto College, highlighted the role of Sufi Khanqahs in Medieval India as repositories of knowledge. 
The seminar concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by Professor Sanghita Sanyal, Department of English and B.Ed, acknowledging the joint effort of the organisers in successfully conducting the event. The seminar was thus an enlightening and informative programme for the audience.
 

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