Vision
The IKS Cell at the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) envisions a civil service that is deeply anchored in India's civilizational wisdom while being fully equipped to address the challenges of the 21st century. Recognizing that India's governance structures have long been shaped by colonial knowledge system privileging abstraction over context, and hierarchy over community, the Cell seeks to foster a cognitive decolonisation that reclaims indigenous modes of knowing and acting.
Its vision is of a public service that progresses from Antyodaya (uplift of the last person) to Jagat Hita (well-being of the world), thereby aligning the national project of Viksit Bharat@2047 with universal ethical responsibility.
Through the integration of dharmic principles, contextual ethics, and plural epistemologies into capacity-building programs, the IKS Cell aims to nurture a civil service that is culturally rooted, purpose-driven, and ethically grounded. This transformation is not limited to technical efficiency; it emphasizes cultivating self-knowledge (swadhyay), rediscovering the ethos of Bharatiya Niti (statecraft), and adopting experiential, reflective pedagogies that inspire civil servants to act with clarity, compassion, and a sense of duty (svadharma).
By embedding Indian Knowledge System across training, research, and institutional frameworks, the Cell aspires to make governance more inclusive, sustainable, and responsive—redefining public administration as not just a mechanism of rule, but as a living ethic of service and stewardship.
Initiative Overview
Focus
Reach
Key Framework
Approach
Key Domains
Objectives
A. Curriculum Integration and Pedagogical Redesign
- Embed IKS frameworks (e.g., Svadharma, Panchakosha) into public administration training.
- Collaborate with CSTIs and CTAs to redesign civil service training modules.
- Prioritize reflective, experiential, and value-based learning approaches over technocratic instruction.
B. Content Development and Dissemination
- Create IKS-aligned digital courses for iGOT-Karmayogi.
- Build courses based on Indic texts (e.g., Mahabharata, Arthashastra, Thirukkural) that translate into actionable training content.
- Develop workshops with knowledge partners rooted in Indic models (e.g., Guna, Svabhava, Panchamahabhutas).
C. Institutional Monitoring and Decolonisation Planning
- Monitor six-monthly decolonisation action plans submitted by CSTIs.
- Support institutions in shifting from colonial mindsets to Bharatiya paradigms in ethics, governance, and leadership.
- Document and evaluate institutional progress in adopting Indic approaches.
D. Institutionalisation of IKS in Governance and Policy
- Mainstream IKS values across national governance frameworks (e.g., NEP, Karmayogi Competency Model, Amrit Kaal Vision).
- Promote a dharmic, duty-centric, and contextually-rooted governance ethos.
- Foster cognitive decolonisation by reshaping how policy problems and solutions are conceptualized.
E. Knowledge Production and Research Ecosystem
- Support IKS Chairs, fellowships, and Centres of Excellence in academic and policy institutions.
- Support interdisciplinary research on applying IKS to contemporary challenges (e.g., climate, urban planning, well-being).
F. Field Immersion and Community Co-Creation
- Enable yatras and long-term immersions for civil servants to learn directly from communities practicing IKS.
- Treat communities as co-owners of knowledge, not just sources of data.
- Encourage embodied learning that nurtures humility, empathy, and deep contextual understanding.
G. Strengthening Knowledge Partnerships
- Deepen and widen collaborations with IKS based knowledge providers and experts.
- Co-create IKS-driven workshops and courses with academic and practitioner networks.
Key Milestones
Way Forward
Communication and Outreach
- Share regular stories on LinkedIn showcasing CSTI-led IKS initiatives.
- Launch a Karmayogi Talks series with IKS experts.
- Promote IKS concepts and terminologies to mainstream them within the governance ecosystem.
Driving CSTI Decolonisation and Indianisation
- Maintain continuous engagement with CSTI IKS SPOCs to track decolonisation plans.
- Scale immersion and training programmes across all States and UTs.
- Expand IKS content on iGOT and design structured learning pathways for sustained adoption.
Collaborating for Thought Leadership
- Evaluate NCA-F's request for joint research to design a common framework for institutionalising IKS in CSTIs.
- Develop an Operational Manual from the research paper to provide pathways for embedding IKS in training ecosystem.
- Explore emerging intersections of AI and IKS to expand the frontiers of knowledge.
Strengthening Knowledge Partnerships
- Deepen collaborations with Brhat, TAO, INDICA, Kautilya School of Public Policy, Aaroha: The Leadership Project, and others.
- Co-create IKS-driven workshops and courses with academic and practitioner networks.
Reviewing Progress and Impact
- Build metrics and dashboards to measure the impact of IKS-infused governance training.
- Advocate for making IKS courses mandatory on iGOT.
- Compile and publish a report on the six-month decolonisation plans submitted by CSTIs.
- Introducing IKS based case studies in Amrit Gyan Kosh (AGK) on iGOT.
Conceptual Framework
Overview
The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) initiative at the Capacity Building Commission represents a transformative approach to civil service capacity-building, seeking to integrate India's rich civilizational wisdom into contemporary governance frameworks. The initiative recognizes the need for cognitive decolonisation moving away from colonial knowledge system that privilege abstraction over context and hierarchy over community toward indigenous modes of knowing and acting that are culturally rooted, contextually relevant, and ethically grounded.
Through embedding IKS frameworks such as Svadharma (duty aligned with purpose), Panchakosha (holistic development), and dharmic principles into training curricula, the initiative aims to nurture civil servants who act with clarity, compassion, and a deep sense of responsibility. The approach emphasizes experiential and reflective pedagogies over technocratic instruction, drawing from Indic texts like the Mahabharata, Arthashastra, and Thirukkural to translate timeless wisdom into actionable governance practices.
The initiative's vision extends from Antyodaya (uplift of the last person) to Jagat Hita (well-being of the world), aligning with the national vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 while fostering universal ethical responsibility. By treating communities as co-owners of knowledge and enabling field immersions and yatras, the initiative seeks to create a governance ecosystem that is inclusive, sustainable, and responsive redefining public administration as a living ethic of service and stewardship.
Full Concept Note: To be uploaded
Relevant Data
Data Collection & Updates
Detailed data on workshops, course completions, participant feedback, and impact metrics are being continuously collected and will be updated on this page. The IKS Cell maintains comprehensive records of all initiatives, partnerships, and outcomes to track progress and measure impact.
Impact Metrics (Outcomes Achieved, Measurable Indicators)
Outputs
- Number of IKS courses developed and deployed on iGOT
- Number of workshops and immersions conducted
- Number of CSTIs engaged in decolonisation planning
- Number of faculty members trained in IKS frameworks
Outcomes
- Increased integration of IKS frameworks in training curricula
- Enhanced cultural and contextual relevance in governance training
- Improved understanding of dharmic governance principles among civil servants
- Strengthened knowledge partnerships with IKS-based institutions
Indicators
- Percentage of CSTIs with active IKS integration plans
- Course completion rates on iGOT IKS modules
- Participant satisfaction scores from workshops
- Number of IKS-based case studies in Amrit Gyan Kosh