CHARTING A ROAD MAP FOR IKS ON THE EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE: WHERE SKILL OUTSHINES DRILL

The integration of Indian Knowledge Systems into the present-day curriculum as emphasized by the NEP 2020 envisages an overhauling of the existing educational landscape.  It presents a pivotal opportunity to re-define education in India by re-instilling pride in India's legacy in the heart of every learner, nurturing critical thinking and a spirit of inquiry and innovation. It is time Gen Z transcended the boundaries of the classroom by beginning to explore not just text books but the book of life itself. In keeping with this thinking the present research endeavors to evaluate one such co-curricular activity in terms of its potential benefits in imbuing student-teachers with traditional wisdom and skills in a bid to make education a comprehensive and culturally relevant learning experience. The sample comprised of 98 B.Ed. students of a private-aided Teacher Education college partaking in the capacity of hosts, participants or observers. On completion of the initiative an IKS test was administered and any differences In Skill-Driven Learning identified. Partial correlation analysis was conducted to assess which of the 3 domains of learning exhibited the strongest interrelationship in student teachers’ skill-driven learning achieved through the IKS related activity. Findings revealed that the interrelationship of Affective and Psychomotor development exhibited the highest association with students’ Skill-Driven Learning, followed closely by that between Cognitive and Psychomotor Development. This implies that when learning is reinvigorated with 21st century skills it would meet its intended objective of holistic student development charting out a promising avenue for IKS on the educational horizon.