NCERT Revises Textbook to Acknowledge Ancient Indian Contributions | 12 Nov 2025

For Prelims: Aryabhatta, Brahmagupta, National Mission for Manuscripts, TKDL, Biological Diversity Act 2002, GI tags. 

For Mains: Indian Heritage and Culture, Relevance of ancient scientific principles in modern innovation and research 

Source:IE 

Why in News? 

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has updated its Class 7 mathematics textbook to more prominently feature ancient Indian achievements in mathematics, particularly in algebra and geometry.  

What were the Key Contributions of Ancient India to the Development of Mathematics? 

  • Ancient Indian Contributions: The revised book credits Indian mathematicians, like Brahmagupta (7th century CE) and Bhaskaracharya (12th century CE) with foundational work in algebra.  
    • It cites Brahmagupta’s Brahmasphutasiddhanta, which articulated the first known rules for operations with positive and negative numbers, marking a milestone in the history of arithmetic and algebra. 
    • Brahmagupta’s Brahmasphutasiddhanta introduced the use of zero (0) as a number.  
      • These ideas were later translated into Arabic and influenced Islamic scholars like Al-Khwarizmi, whose works reached Europe and shaped modern mathematics. 
    • The Sulba Sutras ( 800–500 BCE) contain knowledge demonstrating advanced geometric understanding, including principles similar to Pythagoras Theorem.  
    • Aryabhatta (476 CE) introduced the place value system and decimal notation.  
      • This system simplified arithmetic, making calculations faster and easier, and was foundational for many practical inventions. 

Major Contributions of Ancient India in Different Fields 

  • Science-Theory of Atoms: The ancient Indian scientist Kanad proposed the atomic theory centuries before John Dalton, speculating the existence of small, indestructible particles called anu, which could be in a state of rest or motion. 
  • Astronomy-Heliocentric Theory: Aryabhata, in his book Aryabhatiya, was one of the earliest to correctly state that the Earth is round, rotates on its axis, and revolves around the Sun, predating the heliocentric theory by centuries. 
    • Varahamihira’s Panchasiddhantika integrated Greek and Indian astronomy, while Brahmagupta precisely calculated planetary positions and the solar year. 
  • Metallurgy-Wootz Steel: Ancient India developed Wootz steel, a high-quality steel alloy used in swords and other weapons. Produced by the Tamil people, it was famous for its patterned bands and was highly prized in the ancient world. 
    • India pioneered the distillation process to smelt zinc, with the ancient site of Zawar in Rajasthan being the world’s first known zinc smelting site. This technique was developed as early as the 12th century. 
  • Medicine:The Sushruta Samhita, written by Sushruta in the 6th century BCE, outlined complex surgical techniques, including rhinoplasty (nose reconstruction), making significant contributions to the field of plastic surgery. 
    • Charaka, regarded as the father of Indian medicine, wrote the Charakasamhita, which presented foundational ideas on digestion, metabolism, and immunity, influencing medical practices for centuries. 
  • Chemistry: Through Rasayana, scholars like Nagarjuna refined metals and made perfumes, dyes, and glass - revealing deep chemical understanding. 

What is the Significance of Including Ancient India's Contributions in the School Curriculum? 

  • Decolonizing Curriculum: The changes reflect the NEP 2020 objective of moving beyond Eurocentric narratives in Indian education, rebalancing the portrayal of India's intellectual legacy.  
  • Impetus for Inquiry-Based Learning: By including diverse mathematical traditions and original problems from Sanskrit sources, the new curriculum aims to foster a more inquiry-driven approach and engagement with historical context.  
  • National Integration and Inspiration: The renewed focus on Indian Knowledge Systems seeks to nurture a sense of pride in India’s scientific and mathematical heritage, motivating students to pursue STEM with a deeper cultural understanding.

What are the Challenges in Preserving Ancient Indian Knowledge? 

  • Physical and Conservation Challenges: Manuscripts written on organic materials like palm leaves and birch bark are highly fragile and prone to ageing, insect damage, and fungal growth. 
  • Scholarly and Linguistic Challenge: Manuscripts exist in more than 80 languages and numerous ancient scripts such as Sharada and Grantha, which very few experts can interpret today. 
    • Frequent scribal errors, missing portions, and the loss of oral nuances make accurate reconstruction and translation difficult. 
  • Institutional and Legal Challenges: With millions of manuscripts scattered across temples, private collections, and libraries, many of which remain uncatalogued or inaccessible. 
    • The absence of a unified legal framework and ownership disputes hinder coordinated preservation and access. 
  • Colonial Legacy: Western historiography often marginalized Indian scientific traditions, portraying them as philosophical rather than empirical. This perception persists in some academic narratives. 
  • Commercial Exploitation: Cases like the biopiracy of neem, basmati rice, and turmeric highlight the vulnerability of traditional knowledge to misuse without proper legal protection. 
  • Fragmented Institutional Efforts: Despite initiatives likeTraditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) and National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), coordination between traditional scholars and modern scientific institutions remains limited. 

What are the Initiatives Taken by India to Preserve Ancient Indian Knowledge? 

  • Institutional and Mission-Based Initiatives:  
    • National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) (2003): NMM was established under the Ministry of Culture to document, conserve, and digitize manuscripts written in diverse Indian languages and scripts. 
    • Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA): Serves as a hub for research, preservation, and dissemination of India’s traditional arts and knowledge systems. 
  • Education and Digital Preservation: 
    • National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: NEP 2020 emphasizes integrating India’s ancient wisdom—mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy—into school and higher education. 
    • Digital Preservation: Sanskrit texts and manuscripts are being digitized and translated by universities and cultural bodies for global accessibility. 
  • Promotion of Traditional Knowledge Systems: 
    • Ministry of AYUSH: Advances Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy globally through research and scientific validation. 
    • UNESCO's Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS): It is an interdisciplinary initiative that promotes indigenous and local knowledge and its meaningful inclusion in environmental policy and action. 
  • Legal and Policy Measures for Protection 
    • Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) 
    • Trademark Act, 1999: Trademark Act Safeguards indigenous agricultural and biological products through brand differentiation. 
    • Geographical Indications (GI): GI tag grants identity to region-specific products, preserving cultural authenticity. 
    • WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge (2024): WIPO Treaty (2024) strengthens transparency by mandating patent disclosure of genetic resource origins and associated traditional knowledge.

Conclusion 

Ancient India made lasting contributions to mathematics, astronomy, medicine, metallurgy, and chemistry. These innovations influenced the scientific development of civilizations in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The renewed recognition of these contributions marks an important step in reclaiming and celebrating India’s scientific heritage.  

Drishti mains question

Evaluate the relevance of traditional Indian knowledge systems in the context of contemporary scientific innovation and intellectual property protection.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Why is the study of ancient Indian science and technology important for UPSC aspirants?
It highlights India’s scientific heritage, showcasing indigenous innovation in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and metallurgy—key for cultural and science-based UPSC topics.

2. How did ancient Indian mathematical knowledge influence global scientific development?
Concepts of algebra, zero, and decimal notation from Indian scholars like Brahmagupta and Aryabhatta spread via Arabic translations, forming the foundation of modern mathematics. 

3. What are the main challenges in preserving ancient Indian knowledge?
Loss of manuscripts, limited translations, colonial neglect, and weak institutional coordination threaten the documentation and global accessibility of traditional knowledge. 

4. What steps has the government taken to protect traditional knowledge?
Through initiatives like NMM, TKDL, AYUSH, and NEP 2020, India promotes preservation, scientific validation, and integration of ancient wisdom into education and policy. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)   

Mains

Q. How is the Government of India protecting traditional knowledge of medicine from patenting by pharmaceutical companies? (2019)

Q. India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), which has a database containing formatted information on more than 2 million medicinal formulations, is proving a powerful weapon in the country’s fight against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and cons of making this database publicly available under open-source licensing. (2015)