SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Institutions: Ministry of Science & Technology | Ministry of Education
CSIR-NIScPR held a capacity-building national workshop for teachers on communicating and disseminating Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) under its SVASTIK initiative, in partnership with INYAS (RuSETUp) and Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. Held on 16 October 2025, the workshop drew 100+ participants from 75 institutions, focusing on scientifically validating traditional practices and translating them into accessible classroom and community communication (writing, infographics, short videos, podcasts). Sessions covered India’s S&T heritage, traditional rainwater harvesting, food wisdom, and hands-on training in science-communication methods. Educators were invited to serve as “Brand Ambassadors of SVASTIK” to source local IKS examples backed by evidence.
Aligns with NEP 2020 emphases on teacher capacity, contextual learning, and scientific temper. Scaling SVASTIK-style toolkits across SCERTs/DIETs and B.Ed. programs can standardise evidence-backed IKS modules (e.g., water conservation, nutrition) while building teachers’ communication skills to counter misinformation and improve local adoption.
What is CSIR-NIScPR? → The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research is a New Delhi-based CSIR institute formed in 2021 by merging two entities — NISCAIR and NISTADS. It combines expertise in science communication and policy research to make scientific knowledge accessible to the public and inform evidence-based decision-making for India’s science and technology ecosystem.
What Are IKS and SVASTIK, and How Are They Related? → Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) are the vast body of traditional, experience-based knowledge developed in India, spanning health, food, agriculture, architecture, ecology, and social organisation. IKS reflects India’s scientific heritage and community-driven innovations that evolved through observation and experimentation over centuries.
SVASTIK stands for Scientific Validation and Advancement of our Traditional Knowledge through Integrated Knowledge Systems and is a CSIR-NIScPR initiative that gives IKS a scientific foundation. It gathers traditional practices from across India, validates them through research, and communicates the results in accessible forms such as infographics, podcasts, and short videos.
In short, IKS is the content, and SVASTIK is the bridge, the framework that connects India’s traditional wisdom to modern science, helping educators, researchers, and policymakers apply validated local knowledge to today’s challenges in health, environment, and sustainable development.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can Ministry of Science & Technology and state education departments integrate SVASTIK-linked IKS communication modules, complete with assessment rubrics, into pre-service and in-service teacher training at scale?
Follow the full news here: PIB release