Kala Ganpana and Bharatiya Bijganit: How UGC’s draft curriculum is bringing ancient math alive for undergraduates

In classrooms across India, mathematics has often been synonymous with formulas, problem sets, and exams. But the University Grants Commission (UGC) is now looking to change that narrative. Its draft curriculum for undergraduate students aims to reintroduce the brilliance of India’s mathematical heritage, where numbers, astronomy, and culture intersect. Concepts like Kala Ganpana (traditional Indian timekeeping) and Bharatiya Bijganit (Indian algebra) are no longer relics of history; under the proposed framework, they are lessons for today’s students, blending logic with curiosity, and calculation with culture.

Bringing ancient techniques into modern classrooms

According to the draft, aligned with the Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, students will explore not just arithmetic and geometry but also the historical methods behind them. The curriculum highlights division of polynomials using the Paravartya Yojayet Sutra, a traditional Vedic mathematics technique meaning “transpose and apply.” Students will also learn to interpret panchanga (the Indian calendar) and understand how it determines mahurtas (auspicious timings) for rituals and festivals, showing that math is not confined to numbers on a page, but embedded in daily life and tradition.The course aims to bring India’s rich time-science heritage alive. From ancient observatories to the prime meridian of Ujjain, and from Vedic time units like Ghatis and Vighatis to modern systems such as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and Indian Standard Time (IST), students are invited to bridge past and present. Texts such as the Surya Siddhanta and Aryabhatiyam form the backbone of this learning, exploring cosmic structures from Yugas and Kalpas to Brahma’s day (Brahma Varsa) and divine cycles like Vishnu Varsa and Shiva Varsa.

A curriculum designed for curiosity and competence

Speaking about the initiative, curriculum committee chair Sushil K Tomar said, “We are confident that this curriculum will be a transformative initiative in the realm of mathematics education in India. It has been meticulously developed through extensive consultation and collaboration, ensuring both academic excellence and practical relevance.”The curriculum aims to produce graduates who are not only academically proficient but also capable of contributing meaningfully to research, innovation, and national development—particularly in addressing interdisciplinary challenges spanning sciences, economics, environment, and sustainable development.Under LOCF, courses are divided into three categories: Discipline Specific Core (DSC), Discipline Specific Electives (DSE), and Generic Electives (GEs). DSCs are mandatory credits within a student’s chosen discipline, DSEs offer optional specialization, and GEs expose students to interdisciplinary learning, encouraging a broader intellectual perspective.

Learning from the past, shaping the future

UGC’s ambitions extend beyond mathematics. Its draft LOCF for political science includes 20 four-credit DSC courses, among them “Tradition of Political Thinking in Bharat”, introducing students to Vedic traditions, Jain and Buddhist literature, political ideas in the Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Thirukkural, alongside the works of Bhasa, Kalidasa, and Kalhana. Additional courses focus on India’s independence movement, the Constitution, public policy, and the Panchayati Raj system, offering students a holistic understanding of governance and civic responsibility.For students, this curriculum is more than a new syllabus, it is an invitation to engage with India’s intellectual legacy, think critically, and see learning as a continuum that spans cultures, disciplines, and eras. By blending ancient wisdom with modern frameworks, the UGC is redefining what it means to learn, preparing undergraduates not just for exams, but for life.(with PTI inputs) TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.



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