Indian Knowledge Systems and Digital Learning: Reimagining Indian English Literature

Abstract

The growing emphasis on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) within higher education invites a critical re-examination of disciplinary practices, particularly within Indian English literature. This paper argues that Indian English literary texts function not merely as aesthetic artifacts but as dynamic repositories of indigenous epistemologies, ethical frameworks, and cultural memory. By situating literature at the intersection of tradition and modernity, the study demonstrates how Indian English writers translate oral traditions, philosophical concepts, ecological wisdom, and community-centered modes of knowing into English literary forms without dissolving their civilizational roots. The paper further explores how digital learning environments—ranging from online archives and multimedia resources to digital humanities tools—offer new pedagogical possibilities for engaging with IKS-inflected literary texts. When aligned with indigenous epistemic principles, digital platforms can recover dialogic, non-linear, and participatory modes of learning historically embedded in Indian intellectual traditions. Rather than reinforcing Eurocentric pedagogies, such approaches enable a decolonised literary classroom that foregrounds plurality, ethical reflection, and epistemic justice. By integrating Indian Knowledge Systems with digital learning practices, the paper proposes a reimagined framework for teaching and studying Indian English literature—one that remains globally conversant while being deeply rooted in indigenous intellectual traditions. In doing so, it positions literature as a vital bridge between civilizational knowledge and contemporary educational transformation.