NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said the move aligns with the NEP’s vision to make education more rooted in India’s culture and scientific heritage.
Published Nov 06, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 06, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Ayurveda treatment. (Representative images)
Synopsis: For many, the inclusion of Ayurveda in the new NCERT science syllabus has raised an essential question — is it a step toward holistic education or a quiet merging of ideology and science?
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has decided to incorporate Ayurveda-related lessons into the science syllabus for Classes 6 to 8 as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aiming to familiarize students with India’s traditional systems of health and wellness.
NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said the move aligns with the NEP’s vision to make education more rooted in India’s culture and scientific heritage.
He further clarified that the intent is not to replace modern science but to integrate traditional knowledge systems with evidence-based scientific learning. The new approach, Saklani added, seeks to build curiosity and cultural context among students through a balanced mix of ancient and modern concepts.
As per NCERT, in Class 6, students will learn about the fundamental principles of Ayurveda, including the five elements (Panchamahabhuta), the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), and the concept of maintaining balance for good health.
The Class 7 curriculum is expected to cover the role of diet, lifestyle, and herbs in maintaining overall well-being, drawing examples from traditional practices while connecting them to modern scientific explanations.
Meanwhile, Class 8 will introduce concepts of daily and seasonal routines — Dinacharya and Ritucharya — which guide healthy living based on time and climate.
Across classes, NCERT is set to emphasize Indian approaches to nutrition, environmental harmony, and preventive healthcare, aiming to help students understand how traditional practices align with scientific reasoning.
The objective, according to NCERT, is to enable students to appreciate India’s scientific heritage while fostering a scientific temper and critical thinking, ensuring Ayurveda is understood as a rational, evidence-informed system rather than a religious or purely cultural concept.
For many, the inclusion of Ayurveda in the new NCERT science syllabus has raised an essential question — is it a step toward holistic education or a quiet merging of ideology and science?
Dr PB Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary of the State Platform for Common School System–Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN), believes the issue lies not in introducing Ayurveda, but in how it is being introduced.
According to him, Ayurveda and other traditional systems have long been part of India’s school syllabus. “We have all learned what Ayurveda is, who its practitioners were, and its two branches, medicine and surgery. So when the NCERT director says it’s being introduced now, that’s misleading,” he said.
Dr. Babu further warned that the current move risks “mixing religion with education,” arguing that knowledge should not be categorized as Indian or Western, but simply as science that benefits society.
He emphasized that true education lies in nurturing reasoning, not rhetoric. “You cannot call Einstein’s theory of relativity a Jewish knowledge system just because he was a Jew. Science belongs to humanity, not geography,” he said.
While agreeing that students should understand India’s scientific heritage, he cautioned that “treating Ayurveda as a religious entity instead of a rational, evidence-based discipline” could confuse students about what science truly is.
Dr. Sampath Kumar Shettigar, Senior Consultant–Pediatrician and Neonatologist at Kinder Hospitals, Bengaluru, echoed a similar concern but approached it from a medical and educational perspective.
He said there is nothing wrong with introducing Ayurveda, as long as it is backed by scientific reasoning. “Ayurveda works, but it has to be evidence-based. It’s important that, what we teach children is backed by research and not blind belief,” he said.
To illustrate, he explained how medical science tests traditional claims through controlled studies.
“Take papaya leaf extract for dengue, for instance. People believe it increases platelet count, but in evidence-based medicine, we compare results across thousands of cases to see if it actually works. If it does, it becomes science, not folklore,” he explained.
Dr. Shettigar added, “I read about Ayurveda and use some remedies at home, but the key lies in knowing when and how to apply traditional wisdom.”
“Problems happen when people replace emergency medical care with unproven local treatments,” he said, adding that children can be introduced to Ayurvedic ideas like balance, healthy living, and natural remedies, but only in an age-appropriate, scientifically grounded way.
According to Dr. Shettigar, public perception often magnifies what these syllabus changes really mean. “When people hear that NCERT is adding Ayurveda, they think children will start studying to become Ayurvedic doctors. It’s not that,” he said.
“It’s more about awareness — helping children understand India’s medical traditions, not turning science classes into spiritual lessons,” he added.
He drew a comparison to how sex education was once misunderstood. “When sex education was introduced, people thought teachers were going to teach kids how to have sex. But it was only about understanding one’s body,” he said.
Likewise, he believes Ayurveda lessons, if handled responsibly, can teach children about health, environment, and balance, without confusing them about modern medicine.
“The key is moderation and context,” he said. “Children should learn that Ayurveda is part of India’s scientific journey — not an alternative to modern medicine, but an insight into how knowledge evolved,” he concluded.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
