Indian Institute of Technology of Kharagpur has decided to link the research on Ancient Science and Technology to modern sciences. The university has started a new course on History of Science and Technology in Ancient India. It wants to create an enabling environment to know about the contributions by Ancient Indian Scientists and show its relevance for modern times.
“The study of the history of science and technology of India from ancient times to colonial times is a critical component of IIT Kharagpur’s Science & Heritage Initiative (SANDHI),” said IIT Kharagpur director Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, who is responsible for this idea.
“It is directed towards research, documentation, preservation and dissemination of the rich confluence of our civilisation heritage in science, technology, culture, language, architecture, design and its intricate connections with the rest of the world,” he further added.
Professors of IIT-K were optimistic about this programme and asserted that this is an opportunity to give students a new perspective on Ancient science and technology.
The University intends to cover aspects of achievements of Indians in Physics, Astronomy, Architecture, Metallurgy, Measurements and Chemistry. It also covers Kerala School of Mathematics, mathematics in Vedic and Post-Vedic age, traditions of Computational techniques and other components include Ayurveda and yoga. The course is being offered for both the spring (January to June) and autumn (July to December) semesters as a regular three-credit elective course.
Recently, All India Council for Technical Education has rolled out for new courses in Engineering Colleges (other than IITs and NITs) on subjects such as Vedas, Puranas and Tark Shastra (logic).
