IKS and Democratic Pedagogy: Beyond Heritage to Public Reasoning

Authors

  • Dr. Priyanka Sachdeva Author

Keywords:

Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS, Democratic Pedagogy, Public Reasoning, Sastrartha, Dialogic Learning, Pluralism in Education, Critical Thinking, Ethical and Civic Education

Abstract

This paper reinterprets Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) not as static cultural heritage but as a living tradition of 
dialogic and public reasoning with direct relevance for democratic pedagogy. Moving beyond content-centric approaches that reduce IKS to historical contributions, the study argues that its core value lies in practices such as 
sastrartha, Nyaya logic, and Buddhist deliberation, which cultivate structured debate, collective inquiry, and ethical 
reflection. Grounded in an interpretivist and critical framework, the paper brings IKS into dialogue with democratic and critical pedagogies to conceptualize classrooms as laboratories of democracy. Through philosophical 
analysis and illustrative lesson designs, it demonstrates how IKS-inspired methods can foster critical thinking, inclusivity, and shared reasoning in plural educational contexts. The paper also addresses ethical concerns regarding 
essentialism and politicization, emphasizing the need for adaptive, pluralist, and non-dogmatic integration of IKS. 
It concludes that approaching IKS as a method of public reasoning strengthens democratic education by training 
learners not merely to acquire knowledge, but to deliberate, listen across difference, and participate responsibly in 
collective truth-seeking.

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Author Biography

  • Dr. Priyanka Sachdeva

     Assistant Professor, School of Open Learning University,

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Published

2026-01-01

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): International Journal Of Teacher Education And Teaching January 2026

Section

Research Articles

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