IIT Indore introduces course delving into classical sciences, mathematics texts in Sanskrit

The Indian Institute of Technology in Indore has introduced a unique course to impart mathematical and scientific knowledge from ancient texts in Sanskrit, an official said on Saturday. Titled “Understanding Classical Scientific Texts of India in an Immersive Sanskrit Environment”, the course was started to in a bid to expose the present generation to ancient knowledge, the official from the institute said. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)-sponsored quality improvement programme began on 22 August and will continue till 2 October with a total of 62 hours of online classes, he said. Over 750 candidates from all over the world were participating in the course, he added. “Ancient texts of India, originally composed in Sanskrit, have a rich heritage of mathematical and scientific knowledge and the present generation is unaware of this. We started this course to make them aware of this ancient knowledge in Sanskrit itself,” said professor Neelesh Kumar, officiating director of IIT, Indore. The course will inspire participants to research, innovate, study and teach mathematics and science in Sanskrit, he said. According to an IIT official, the course has been divided into two parts, under which participants will first be taught the nuances of Sanskrit to build their understanding of the language and in the next part, they will be taught classical mathematics in Sanskrit. A qualifying examination will also be conducted to evaluate the participants involved in the second part of the course and successful candidates will be awarded a certificate, he added.