How can institutions of higher education be leveraged to promote India's classical knowledge traditions? Illustrate with recent initiatives.

Much of India's classical knowledge, such as Sangam literature, Sanskrit śāstras and the ethics of the Thirukkural, sits in texts that only specialists can read. NEP 2020 commits to expanding universities and institutes that study classical languages and literature [1]. Higher education institutions (HEIs) have research capacity and reach young people, so they are the best way to keep this heritage alive.

How HEIs can be leveraged

• Research and translation hubs: HEIs can prepare critical editions and translate texts into other Indian languages. For example, CICT, Chennai released a Hindi Tolkāppiyam and Kannada translations of nine classical Tamil works [2].
• Pedagogy: HEIs can write bridge-language teaching material. CICT-trained teachers used a five-volume Tamil-through-Hindi course for Varanasi students [3].
• Inter-university exchange: northern and southern campuses can be twinned. BHU and IIT (BHU) jointly hosted seven academic sessions on shared heritage under KTS 4.0 [3].
• Mass student outreach: KTS 5.0 runs a Students' Engagement Programme in 1,000 HEIs on the Thirukkural [4].
• Technology and digital access: IIT Madras hosts the KTS portal, and Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya supports reading sessions [4].
• New disciplines: classical status was extended to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali [5]. Universities now need faculty and courses in these languages.

Recent initiatives

Initiative	Higher-education role
KTS 1.0 (2022)	Tirukkural released in 13 languages [6]
Tamil Karkalam (KTS 4.0)	Tamil taught in 50 Varanasi schools, with BHU support [7]
Tamil Karpom (KTS 4.0)	300 Kashi students went on study tours to Tamil Nadu [8]
KTS 5.0 (2026)	Theme "Thirukkural Payilvom"; Thirukkural experts visit Varanasi colleges [4]

Gaps to address

• Outputs are counted, not results: releases report delegate numbers but give no follow-up on what people learned [4][7].
• The exchange is one-sided: about 1,400 Tamil delegates travel north, while only 300 Kashi students went south [4][8].
• Most work is event-based: festivals happen each year, but they have not yet created permanent chairs or credit-bearing courses.

HEIs can turn classical heritage from a museum piece into a living discipline through research, teaching, exchange and digital access. One-off festivals should become permanent chairs, credit courses and two-way exchanges with outcomes tracked. Then initiatives like Kashi Tamil Sangamam can deliver NEP's vision of Indian Knowledge Systems [1] and the Article 51A(f) duty to value India's composite culture.