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Seminar–cum–Workshop on Indian Knowledge Systems and English Studies

23–24 March 2026

The Department of English is organizing a Seminar–cum–Workshop on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and English Studies on 23–24 March 2026, supported by a grant from the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG). The event aims to explore meaningful ways of integrating elements of Indian Knowledge Systems into the teaching, research, and curriculum design of English Studies in Indian universities.

In the context of the National Education Policy 2020, higher education institutions are encouraged to incorporate approximately 5% IKS components into undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. While several disciplines have already begun working toward this integration, English Studies has not yet been systematically addressed in recent curricular initiatives. This seminar seeks to initiate a focused academic conversation on how Indian Knowledge Systems can be thoughtfully incorporated into English Studies without reducing them to symbolic or token inclusions.

The intellectual orientation of this initiative emphasises dialogue rather than ideological assertion. The intention is not to approach Indian Knowledge Systems through narratives of cultural grievance, nor to engage in uncritical glorification of tradition. Instead, the seminar seeks to position IKS and English Studies as equal participants in the broader domain of World Literature and global intellectual traditions, encouraging balanced scholarly engagement and comparative inquiry.

The event brings together scholars working across diverse areas of English Studies in order to examine how IKS perspectives may enrich literary interpretation, theoretical inquiry, language studies, translation, and pedagogy. The plenary lectures address several key areas within this emerging dialogue: language studies within the Bharatiya intellectual tradition; Indian research methodologies and epistemological frameworks; classical aesthetic theories such as Tinai poetics and their ecological implications; the relationship between Indian knowledge traditions and British–American literature; translation studies and Indic translation theories; cross-cultural feminist theory engaging the concept of the Divine Feminine; and pedagogical approaches to introducing IKS within English literature classrooms.

Participants are invited to present papers or posters that identify specific ways in which IKS perspectives can be incorporated into the syllabus of English Studies. Contributions may address undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum design as well as the potential for PhD research frameworks, interdisciplinary studies, and minor or major research projects emerging from this intellectual engagement.

Alongside the seminar, the organisers plan to prepare an edited academic volume based on selected presentations. The volume will attempt to map the range of possible engagements between IKS and English Studies and provide practical suggestions for syllabus design, teaching, and research. Such a resource may assist universities across India in meeting the curricular expectations of NEP while also enriching literary studies with indigenous intellectual traditions.

Through this initiative, the seminar seeks to foster a constructive dialogue between classical Indian knowledge traditions and global literary scholarship, opening new possibilities for curriculum development, theoretical innovation, and interdisciplinary research in English Studies.

Hybrid mode:

The seminar will be conducted in hybrid mode, enabling participation both in person and online. Scholars and students who are unable to attend physically may join the sessions through live streaming on the following channel:
📺 YouTube Live Stream:  DoE-MKBU YouTube Channel

Participants may also present their work online in the form of a paper presentation or a digital poster. This hybrid format is intended to enable wider academic participation from scholars, researchers, and students across different institutions.

Sub-Themes

1. IKS and Language Studies

Exploring insights from Bharatiya linguistic and philosophical traditions—such as theories of language, meaning, and discourse—and their relevance for expanding the scope of language studies within English departments.

2. Indigenous Research Methodologies in English Studies

Examining Indian epistemological frameworks—such as the knowledge categories articulated in the Nyaya Sutras and language philosophy associated with Bhartrhari—as methodological tools for literary research and interpretation.

3. Landscape, Ecology and Classical Indian Aesthetics

Re-examining ecological and aesthetic frameworks such as Tolkappiyam and the Tinai poetic system in relation to modern ecocriticism, indigenous literary traditions, and global environmental humanities.

4. British and American Literature in Dialogue with IKS

Tracing the influence, resonance, or comparative possibilities between Indian philosophical ideas and writers such as T. S. Eliot and Ralph Waldo Emerson, as well as broader intersections between IKS and Anglo-American literary traditions.

5. Comparative Poetics and Literary Theory

Engaging classical Indian aesthetic traditions—particularly Natyashastra and Rasa theory—in conversation with Western literary theory and criticism.

6. Cross-Cultural Feminist Thought and the Divine Feminine

Exploring dialogues between Indian philosophical concepts of the feminine divine and feminist theory, including the work of Luce Irigaray, in relation to contemporary literary texts.

7. Translation Studies and Indian Knowledge Systems

Examining Indic translation theories, the translation of classical Indian texts into English, and the role of translation in introducing IKS perspectives into English Studies curricula.

8. Myth, Archetype and Narrative Traditions

Comparative studies between Indian mythological frameworks and Western archetypal criticism associated with thinkers such as Northrop Frye, exploring shared symbolic patterns in global literary traditions.

9. Pedagogical Approaches for Teaching IKS through English Literature

Developing innovative strategies for incorporating IKS into literature and language classrooms through multidisciplinary course design, experiential learning, and research-oriented pedagogy.

10. Curriculum Design and IKS Integration in English Studies

Practical proposals for integrating IKS components into undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in English Studies in alignment with NEP curricular frameworks.