For millennia, India has had its own native educational methodology that is firmly rooted in the scientific tenets of rigorous analysis, logic, experiential validation and repeatability. Vedas form the base of its unique knowledge culture; but it has accommodated a wide variety of regional indigenous disciplines over time.

Ayurveda, Yoga, and Vedanta are three fruits of the Vedic system that are highly valued and popular today. However, it is lesser known that at their base lies a firm theoretical foundation of deep, holistic study of nature, human psychology, and of knowledge itself, its means (observation), methods (logic and language) and validation (experimentation). In addition, there is a vast, unexplored body of human experience preserved in India over millennia as manuscripts and tribal knowledge in the areas of ecology, nature-friendly agriculture, technology, humanities, wellness and aesthetics.

By Vedic Sciences, we refer to this collective body of India’s native knowledge base, and not merely its religious aspect as commonly understood. The word ‘Veda’ itself denotes knowledge in its widest sense.

Students have several options available today to undertake Indic studies. However, the following are the concerns in the minds of learners as regards Vedic education.

1)Employability, 2) Ease of learning, 3) Value to the society, and 4) Scope for innovation

SVS’s programs address all of them, since its approach is driven by a strong focus on the following.

• Fidelity to Vedic methodology of inquiry
• Learning ease for mainstream students
• Contemporary applicability

To achieve these, SVS’s programs facilitate hands-on experience with Vedic concepts as an integral part of learning via projects. Students use modern technology (e.g. computing and IT) to build working models of Indic ideas and their applications. This enables the students, both to imbibe a concept and explore its practical applicability in the modern context. As a side effect, they gain working experience with modern technology as well, that helps their professional career. To facilitate this formally, the school has an integrated Indic technologies lab with a strong research and development agenda where students participate. Students get to transform their prototypes into applications that others will subsequently use and enhance. The school will thus produce not only publishable research; but also practically usable products by building on past work within or outside the school. This type of hands-on experience is what the corporate world really values for employability.

Success in today’s professional world requires three core skills.

Assimilation: The aptitude to learn new concepts and unlearn old notions quickly, as needed. Swami Vivekananda defines education as the practice of concentration and renunciation, which corresponds to these two traits.

Communication: The ability to bring clarity to a vague idea and distill an argument to its essence. Language and logic are its two aspects.

Empathy: Keen awareness of how others think and feel to enable one to connect with them. This is also called emotional intelligence, and is key to team work, influencing and leadership.

To excel in the above ACE skills, one needs an integral understanding of the nature of mind, knowledge and human behavior. Contemporary education does not deal explicitly with how to learn, but leaves it to develop as a side-effect of studying various subjects. In contrast, Indian native educational method hones key learning skills (memory, logic and articulation) early on, and enables the student to apply them to master any subject quickly by oneself.

The study of Vedic darshanas including Yoga provides deep insight into the holistic make-up of a human being and the inner springs of human behavior. They extensively deal with the nature of knowledge, its instruments, methods, obstacles and remedies. India has a well-regarded and precise system of logic and linguistics (Nyaaya) and effective organization and communication of thought (Mimamsa). Vedic texts themselves are monumental examples of effective expression. Even a preliminary education in these sciences sharpens one’s intellect greatly and accelerates learning and communication.

SVS has a unique curriculum that imparts these fundamentals. Thereby, it equips the modern student with the ACE skills for success in any career.

Vedic insights have the power to expand the focus of education and career from mere professional success to life-long fulfilment. SVS trains the next generation to usher this change. Its programs are designed to develop leaders with a rich, diverse perspective of knowledge as their asset. Our target audience is primarily students of mainstream education who are curious to explore Indian knowledge tradition with an open mind to apply or adapt it to the modern context. We invite three types of individuals.

• New entrants to university education seeking to blaze a new trail in educating themselves, while staying relevant to today’s needs
• Graduates looking to enrich their own area of specialization with the Vedic perspective or aspiring for a career in multi-disciplinary research and consulting
• Working professionals interested in formal study of Vedic insights to apply in their own area

Yes, SVS realizes the importance of Vedic Sciences for working professionals. So, classes and delivery methods are tailored to suit them. We have online certificate courses for this purpose.