Integrating Santali Language and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Higher Education: A Pedagogical Roadmap for Inclusive Nation Building towards Viksit Bharat@2047

Abstract

The vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 is to make India a developed, inclusive, knowledge-driven and culturally-rich country by the 100 years of Independence. To realize this vision, the Higher Education system must be transformed to embrace and accept linguistic diversity, cultural plurality and traditions of indigenous knowledge as assets to sustainable development and nation building. The Santali language is a notable language among the tribal languages of India, and it is highly rich in oral literature, ecological knowledge, governance by the community and cultural heritage. Although it has been mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, and is now found in academic institutions, Santali continues to be marginalized in mainstream higher education. The need to incorporate Santali language and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) into higher education teaching-learning processes and institutional operations is explored in this paper. It builds upon the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and current debates on inclusive education and proposes a pedagogical journey that will help integrate the knowledge of Santali into teaching and learning, research, innovation and community engagement. The study argues that this synergy can help in cultural sustainability, social justice, multilingual education, and can contribute immensely towards the realization of Viksit Bharat@2047. The paper advocates for the use of transformative pedagogies with H.E.I that view and engage with indigenous communities as producers of knowledge and active partners in national development.