Abstract

This paper examines Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) in the context of higher education reform under NEP 2020. While current debates often treat IKS as heritage or additional curriculum content, the paper approaches it as a deeper challenge to the dominant ways Knowledge has been organised in Indian universities. The core argument concerns not only inclusion but also how Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) might transform our understanding of Knowledge itself. The research employs an interpretive methodology, drawing on the Sociology of Knowledge, the philosophy of education, and postcolonial theory. The author analyses historical discussions on education, epistemic diversity, and the policy terminology of the NEP 2020 to construct the thesis. The research indicates that IKS embodies a unique epistemology characterized by holism, emphasis on lived experience, ethical foundations, and social significance. It should thus be regarded as an intellectual tradition in its own right, rather than as an ancillary cultural layer. NEP 2020 is read here as an epistemic intervention that opens institutional space for multiple traditions of learning and teaching. The paper proposes epistemic pluralism as a framework for this engagement, one that maintains academic rigour while recognising indigenous traditions as legitimate contributors to Knowledge. In doing so, it offers a conceptual guide for educators and policymakers seeking to implement NEP 2020 with both critical depth and social sensitivity.