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Bhāratīya-jñāna-sampoṣaṇa-gaveṣaṇa-kendram-06
IKS Research Centre Proposals Program 2026-27
Application and Instructions

Overview of Centre Proposal Program Page 4

Proposal Preparation and Eligibility Criteria Page 6
Rating Criteria Page 9
Proposal Guidance Page 10
Proposal template Page 12-18
Annexure-1: Page 19
Dates to Remember
Proposals Due by 30th January 2026

Announcement of Awards 27th February 2026

Funding Available 15th April 2026

Progress Report Due 1st July 2026

Mid Term Review of the project 31st August 2026

Annual Progress Report 29th January 2027

Final Report Due 31st March 2028

Contact Us: Email: ikscentres@[Link]

Proposal Submission link: (The submission link will be made available from 15th Jan 2026
onwards. Please visit the website regularly for updates.)
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About Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) Division
Home to the oldest continuously living civilization of the world, the Indian subcontinent has been a
knowledge and manufacturing powerhouse of the world for most of the known history. A Dharmic culture that
emphasized the development of all dimensions of humanity with an emphasis on living in harmony with oneself,
one’s environment, and the universe at large. It is becoming very apparent from the recent developments around
the world that the current models of development are unsustainable and are in serious conflict with nature. The
rising inequalities in the modern world point to a dire need for new paradigms of development.

There is an Indian way that is both sustainable and strives for the welfare of all. The grand vision for the
IKS Division of Ministry of Education is to initiate a process of training generations of scholars who will show
the ‘Indian way’ to the world. If we want to become the Knowledge Leader in this century and be the
‘Viśvaguru’, it is imperative that we regain a comprehensive knowledge of our heritage and demonstrate the
‘Indian way’ of doing things to the entire world. Therefore, the IKS Division of Ministry of Education has been
established with a vision to promote interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research on all aspects of Indian
Knowledge Systems (IKS), update and disseminate IKS knowledge for further innovations and societal
applications.

The Indian Knowledge System comprises of Jnan, Vignan, and Jeevan Darshan of the people of Bharat
continuously arising out of deep experience, observation, experimentation and rigorous analysis, with a tradition
of validating and putting into practice in several areas including education, arts, administration, law, justice,
health, manufacturing, and commerce, documented in classical and other languages of Bharat, and transmitted
through textual, oral and artistic traditions.

Vision and Mission

The objective of the IKS Division for the next 12 years is to completely decolonize Indian mind by
generating interest and healthy critical reverence to the unbroken knowledge traditions of Bhārata for the welfare
of the world. To achieve this objective, the vision of the IKS division for the next five years will be to rejuvenate
and mainstream Indian knowledge systems for the contemporary world.

The primary goal of the IKS division is to bridge the gap between the traditional Indian knowledge
systems and contemporary knowledge systems. The IKS division will continue to focus on three fundamental
principles when undertaking any activity:

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Paramparā: Embracing the rich heritage and lineage of Indian knowledge systems, the IKS division aims to
uphold and carry forward the wisdom that has been passed down through generations. The goal is to highlight
and nurture the continuous unbroken knowledge traditions of Bharata since time immemorial.

Dṛṣṭi: The unique perspectives provided make this knowledge system ‘Indian’ and valuable to the world. Indian
knowledge systems offer a unique perspective that holds immense value in addressing contemporary and
emerging challenges. By combining traditional wisdom with modern knowledge, we can find holistic solutions
that transcend the limitations of either approach.

Laukik Prayojana: The practical utility of the Indian knowledge system to solve current and emerging problems
of Indian and the world. To ensure the practicality and impact of IKS projects, emphasis is placed on developing
knowledge systems that are relevant to the present. By focusing on areas of societal importance, such as health,
technology, and social well-being, IKS projects strive to make a tangible difference.

Functions of IKS Division:

1) Facilitate and coordinate IKS based/related inter and transdisciplinary work done by various institutions
in India and abroad including Universities, Institutions of national importance, R&D Laboratories and
different ministries and inspire private sector organizations to engage with it.
2) Establish, guide and monitor subject-wise interdisciplinary research groups comprising of researchers
from institutes, centres and individuals.
3) Create and promote popularization schemes.
4) Facilitate funding of various projects and develop mechanisms to undertake research.
5) Make Policy recommendations wherever required for the promotion of IKS.

Nature of outputs expected from this program: The deliverables of this program must align with the
objectives of the IKS Division, Ministry of Education, and directly contribute to the effective implementation
of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in the area of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). The outputs shall
be structured and categorized strictly as per the thematic areas of IKS Division, ensuring comprehensive
coverage and relevance to the identified knowledge domains.

Copyright: The IKS Division will retain the right for using/disseminating all the materials created under this
program will be fully owned and copyrighted by the IKS Division, Ministry of Education. Contributors retain
authorship but receive no royalties. The IKS Division can freely use and disseminate the content, which will be
made publicly available at no cost.

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Overview of the IKS Centre (Research) Proposals Program

The IKS Centres (Research; Henceforth referred to simply as IKS Centres in the rest of this document)
program is designed to encourage and fund the establishment of IKS Centres across the country with a view to
catalyze original research, education, and dissemination of IKS knowledge. The goal of the IKS centres is to act
as a catalyst for initiating research, education, and outreach activities in various parts of the country. The IKS
activities are currently dispersed around many places in the country. There is a strong need to establish centres
in the country in traditional schools and STEM educational institutes to focus these efforts. This initiative will
address this critical need.

Each IKS centre consists of three pillars, namely: 1) Research pillar, 2) Education and mentoring pillar
and 3) Outreach and dissemination pillar (Figure 1). It is mandatory for the IKS centres to have deliverables and
objectives centreed around all the three pillars. Each centre must focus on 2 thematic areas described below.

Figure 1. Conceptual structure of a IKS Centre

One to Two Thematic Areas

Interdisciplinary
Education and Outreach and
Research in one to
Mentoring dissemination
two thematic areas

Thematic Areas: The proposals for IKS centres are expected to select minimum one (01) and maximum
two (02) of the following areas of interest to the IKS Division. These areas of interest are nurtured in all
languages of India such as Tamil, Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Arabic, Persian, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Odia,
Bengali etc. The knowledge systems have been preserved in many textual, oral traditions and kula paramparas
that are practiced. The selected themes cover all broad areas and are relevant for all people, at all times and in all
places. This call for proposals has the following priority areas. Please note that applications in other areas will
not be considered. We may not fund any proposals in a thematic area if we do not receive high quality proposals.

1. Vedic Philosophical and Cognitive Sciences

2. Historical and Civilizational Sciences
3. Contemporary Social / Cultural Sciences
4. Mathematical, Physical and Astronomical Sciences
5. Speech and Linguistics
6. Political, Economic and Strategic sciences
7. Medical and Health sciences
8. Culinary, Nutritional and Pharmacological Sciences
9. Agricultural Science, Veterinary & Animal Husbandry
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 10. Performing Arts
11. Mechanical & Digital Design & Engineering
12. Civil and Architectural Sciences
13. Fine Arts and Sculpture
14. Chemical, Metallurgical & Material Sciences
15. Fashion and Interior Design
16. Edutainment Sciences

Link for Suggested areas to consider under each Thematic Areas: Coming Soon (Please check the website)

Available Funding: The funds available to support the IKS Centres are discretionary funds provided by the
Ministry of Education, Govt. of India to support the activities of the IKS Division. The level of funding available
for the program each year is determined by the MoE, Govt. of India. The IKS Division will establish IKS Centres
across the country with a funding level of up to Rs. 5 Lakhs/year over two years. The second year’s funding
will be subject to satisfactory performance in the first year (post formal review).

Institutional Commitment and Matching Grants:

Category 1 (Educational/Research Institutions):

The IKS centres are designed for strengthening the institutional capacity in IKS. Institutional commitment
through matching grants is mandatory for sustainability and success of the IKS Centre. The host institution must
provide a minimum 100% matching grant in cash, i.e., at least ₹5.00 lakhs per year. Additional in-kind support
(office space and staff, infrastructure, computers/IT facilities, laboratory/experimental facilities, etc.) is highly
encouraged and will be considered a strong indicator of institutional commitment, thereby strengthening the
proposal.

Category 2 (Gurukulas/NGOs/Trusts/Foundations):

This program offers comprehensive support and capacity building in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) for
organizations like Gurukulas, NGOs, Trusts and Foundations provided their core objectives align with the IKS
Division's mission. The IKS Division will fully fund the first year. Subsequent funding will be performance-
based, evaluated against delivered outputs and outcomes. While not required, financial or in-kind support from
applicants is highly valued as it strengthens the proposal and ensures long-term sustainability.

Note: Any organizations like Gurukulas/NGOs/Trusts/Foundations with yearly IT returns declaring

income/source of funds exceeding ₹50 lakhs must apply under Category 1.

Goal for Funding IKS Centres: Our goal is to make catalytic grants that encourage original, serious, and deep
scholarly research in the Indian Knowledge Systems to rejuvenate IKS research in India. Each IKS centre is
expected to focus on a minimum of one and maximum of two thematic areas. Proposals to establish
generalized centres without identifying focus areas is highly discouraged and will be rejected at first step of
the review process. Funding research that eventually lead to practical products or practices or leads to solutions
to current societal problems is the top priority. Involving students, younger faculty with an aim to train and
nurture next generation of scholars is highly encouraged.

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Nature of Support: Each IKS Centre will be supported with funding for the manpower (Research fellows,
project associates and interns), supplies, outreach activities and miscellaneous expenses. This funding is expected
to jump- start the IKS activities in the newly established centres and prepare them to apply for competitive research
funding, training, and mentoring interns, and conduct Faculty Development Programs.

IKS Centre Evaluation: The success of the IKS centres will be monitored through quarterly follow up to the
Principal Investigators (PIs), and yearly reports on the activities of the centres. The project outputs are likely to
be updated on the IKS Division website to help disseminate the results among the IKS community. The metrics
to evaluate the performance of the IKS centres will include the number of project proposals submitted, research
papers published, publications in peer- reviewed journals, popular articles, student training and mentoring,
Faculty Development workshops, monographs, and textbooks published in addition to other appropriate metrics
which will be communicated to the PIs in advance. IKS Division reserves the right to discontinue funding if
there is no satisfactory progress (as indicated by an expert review) in any IKS Centre after the first year.

Proposal Eligibility Criteria/Preparation and Submission Instructions

The IKS Division is inviting proposals from institutions working in the Indian Knowledge Systems.
 Faculty members in any Govt. recognized educational institutions (private/public), Govt. funded
labs and NGOs/Trusts/foundations, Acharyas in any gurukula or pathashalas, practicing artists
with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in teaching and learning are eligible to be the Principal
Investigators.
 Faculty members in any Govt. recognized educational institutions (private/public), Govt. funded
labs and NGOs/Trusts/foundations, Acharyas in any gurukula or pathashalas, practicing artists
with a minimum of 3 years’ experience in teaching and learning are eligible to be the Co-Principal
Investigators.
 To be eligible for this grant, Organizations like NGOs/Trusts/foundations must be solely working
in the research and education related to Indian Knowledge Systems.
 Independent researchers without an institutional affiliation are not eligible to apply.
 Researchers who have been funded by IKS Division through the Research proposal program in
earlier rounds are eligible to apply as Principal Investigators or Co-Principal Investigators or
collaborators.
 Existing IKS Centres (including those previously funded by the IKS Division) are eligible to
apply for this grant.
 Existing IKS Centres established by Educational/ Research Institutions/ Gurukulas/ NGOs/
Trusts/ Foundations can also apply.

Funding best proposals is our priority. When proposals are similarly scored, we give preference to assistant
professors, associate professors, and professors (in this order). An institute can submit only one IKS Centre
(Research) proposal. If multiple IKS centre proposals are received from an institute, only ONE High
quality proposal will be selected. The proposal can be submitted in any Indian Language included in
the Eighth Schedule or English.

1. The IKS Centre Proposal(s) should focus on 1-2 thematic areas that are important to IKS's
research mission.
2. It is mandatory requirement that the team must have at least one person (PI or Co-PI or
Collaborator) who can read the primary text without the aid or any translations.
3. Joint, interdisciplinary projects are preferred and encouraged.
4. The project must be completed before the project deadline indicated on the first page unless an
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 extension is granted.
5. Proposal submission deadline is on the date indicated on the first page and must be submitted
through online portal ([Link]) only. Any other form of submission will not be considered.
Please do not send proposals by email/hardcopy. Late proposals will not be accepted for any
reason.
6. IKS Division reserves the right to nominate proposals to the review panel. The nominated proposals
will be considered on an equal basis and will undergo the same peer review process as other
proposals.
7. IKS Division reserves the right to nominate proposals to the review panel. The IKS Division also
reserves the right to approach any institution and invite proposals from them directly. All these
proposals will be considered on an equal basis as other proposals and will undergo the same peer
review process as other proposals.
8. If the proposal is not suitable for the IKS Centre Scheme, the review panel may nominate it for any
schemes of IKS Division. These proposals will be treated equally with direct submissions and will
follow the identical peer review process.
9. Progress reports are due on the dates indicated on the first page. The research carried out in the
project will be reviewed at the end of one year by an external expert committee. Future grants will
be made only upon favorable recommendations.
10. If the Principal Investigator (PI) moves to a different institution, the Co-PI may assume the role of
PI, subject to prior approval from the IKS Division of the Ministry of Education (MoE). A formal
request, signed by the Head of the new institution, must be submitted to the IKS Division. Please
note that the IKS centre cannot be changed to another institution. Decision of the IKS Division with
respect to change in PI or termination of the IKS centre is final.
11. Failure to following proposal guidelines will result in your proposal not being reviewed or funded
• Please use the proposal template provided. If you use the version at the end of this
document, you will need to adjust pagination and margins.
• Use the signature page provided and make it a separate page in your document.
• Complete the cover page provided. Make it a separate page in your document.
• The proposal body should not be more than ten (10) pages long. Please write your proposal
in clear simple language. Primary references (typically in Indian Languages) section cannot
be left blank. Do not list references unless you cite them.
• Use 1-inch margins on all sides, single line spacing, at least 11-point font.
• If you use page numbers, place them at bottom centre.
• A complete proposal includes the following documents in the same order (as a single pdf
only):
▪ Document 1: Cover page
▪ Document 2: Proposal narrative
▪ Document 3: Budget page
▪ Document 4: PI and Co-PI resumes
▪ Document 5: PI signature and institutional approval pages
▪ Document 6: Plagiarism detection report and AI generated content report.
▪ Document 7: Organization Darpan Certificate (NGO/Trust/Foundation etc)
▪ Document 8: Organization IT returns of past 3 years (NGO/Trust/Foundation etc)
• The size of the single document files must be <20MB.
• Once your proposal is finalized, save it as a PDF file using this naming format
BGSKendram_Researchcentre_YOURLASTNAME.
12. Submission Process
• Please visit the IKS Division website and fill the details on the link given on the first page.
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 • Upload your PDF proposal files (<20 MB) and then press the submit button.
• If your submission has been successful, you will see a pop-up message “Your response has
been submitted successfully to IKS Division. No other emails will be sent to you regarding
confirmation of your proposal”.
13. Budget Distribution:

• Funding will be provided to support the following:

▪ Salary for project personnel/ project associates/ research fellowships/ internships is
supported.

▪ Research/Education/Outreach: Any funding for effectively implementing the

education, mentoring and outreach plan is permitted. The outreach activities must be
exclusively IKS-centric and must focus on the core areas of the respective IKS
centres. These funds can be used to cover the Honorariums of the Experts and
fellowships of the interns, as well as expenses for conducting experiments, field
surveys, supplies/books/equipment, travel, contingencies, and any other costs
associated with the Centre's project. To meet Divisional objectives, IKS Division
may suggest targeted educational and outreach activities for centers to conduct,
utilizing funds provided as part of this scheme and the institution’s matching grants.

▪ Overhead: No overhead costs are allowed for centrally funded institutions.

Overheads, when allowed in rare cases, are capped at 5% of the grant.

Note: PI or Co-PI salaries/honorariums are NOT supported. Infrastructure, office staff, IT facilities, study
resources, and computing equipment are not supported.

• Matching grants: Proposals from institutions must have A minimum of 100% matching grants
in actual funding by the institute is REQUIRED (i.e A minimum of Rs. 5.00 lakhs/year in
financial commitment is required from the institute). Additional matching grants can be through
the in-kind support such as support for the office staff, infrastructural facilities for the
establishment of IKS centre, computers and other IT support, experimental facilities, and any
other in-kind support are clear demonstrators of institutional support and will strengthen the
proposal. The Category-2 IKS Centres are not required to provide a 100% matching grant.

• Total budget = Budget request from the IKS Division+ Matching Grant. The funding request
from the IKS Division must not exceed Rs. 5 Lakhs/year for the two years (i.e the maximum
support from the IKS division is Rs. 10.0 Lakhs over two years.)

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Review Process
1. We will follow a two-phase peer review process.

2. The rating criteria that will be used by the reviewers are given in the next section.

3. All proposals will be reviewed by multiple independent experts.

4. Shortlisted Proposals from the Phase I will be sent for further evaluation in Phase II. PIs may be
contacted by the Review Panel in Phase II over a call/video conference.

5. The shortlisted PIs in Phase-II will receive the reviewer comments for their proposal through email
subject to experts’ review.

6. Additional funding may be given to selected proposals subject to Review Panel’s recommendations.

7. The IKS Division will be bound by the decisions of the review panel regarding the selection of the
proposals.

8. The list of selected proposals will be published through IKS Division website.
Discretion: The IKS Division is a mission mode scheme. Therefore, IKS Division shall reserve the discretion
on determination of sanction of funding and processes as per its standard norms and such determination shall
be final. The selection process is not open to review.

Proposal Rating Criteria

The following criteria will be used by the reviewers of your proposal to evaluate your proposal against others.
Please think about these questions carefully and answer them clearly in your proposal using the proposal
structure specified.

• Is this IKS Centre’s mission focusing on the themes relevant to IKS Division’s mission and
focus areas? (20 points)

• Are the IKS Centre plans and goals clearly stated and understandable? (10 points)

• Does the proposed centre have a clear research plan for conducting research that addresses
significant problem or potential? (10 points)

• Will the results of this study be useful? Might they make a difference? (15 points)

• Does the proposed centre have a clear education plan? (10 points)

• Does the proposed centre have a clear mentoring plan for students and younger faculty? (10 points)

• Will the results be communicated to appropriate audiences? (5 points)

• Does the proposed budget seem appropriate for the work to be executed in the project? (5 points)

• Does the PI and the team have necessary competence, prior experience and expertise
to undertake the proposed research in the proposed topic? (15 points)
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Strength of the proposal (up to 100 words): Please list the specific strengths of the proposal.

Weakness of the proposal (up to 100 words): Please list the specific weaknesses of the proposal if any.

NOT withstanding the weaknesses do you think that there are some specific reasons due to which the project may
still be considered for support?

Summary Statement (up to 100 words): Please indicate whether this proposal should be supported or not.

Further guidance on proposal preparation

Considerations in preparing your proposal:

1. The charge of the IKS is to support research in Indian Knowledge Systems that will make meaningful
contributions to the furtherance of IKS. Please refer to Annexure-1 to see what qualifies as an IKS
project. Please refer to the IKS Website for a list of projects that have been supported.
2. A good proposal will emphasize how the proposed research is intended to contribute towards the IKS’s
mission either in the near future (applied) or by leading to developments further in the future (basic).
Simply satisfying curiosity or compiling data for a refereed paper will not be in the interest of the IKS
Division and will not impress the reviewers.
3. The Centres must strictly be related to IKS themes. Proposals which are not within the scope of this
solicitation will be rejected in Phase-I review without any further communication in this regard.
Proposals must have a reasonable set of activities that can be completed in two years. The proposals
must have clear quantifiable deliverables. A sustainability plan after the end of the IKS Division support
must also be included.
4. Clear communication is the key: Proposals that clearly specify the contribution of the research will be
considered.
5. We do not fund acquisition or construction of facilities (bricks and mortar). Requests for equipment
needed to carry out proposed research are permitted. The proposal must describe your need and specify
how the equipment will be used in this specific research. Funding will not be provided to better equip
your laboratory or facilitate other work.
6. Future funding is difficult to predict but tell us how the results of your research might help lead to future
grant funding from other sources.
7. Please keep in mind that funds to finance the centres is limited. We will make a call on the number of
proposals to be funded based on the availability of funds and quality of proposals.
8. Please ensure that you cite all your references in your proposal.
9. If you intend to use IKS project funds in concert with other funding to complete a project, be sure to
thoroughly describe the other funding source(s) and amount(s) on your budget page. Reviewers are
interested in knowing about funds leveraging possibilities.

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General Terms and Conditions:

1. The funds will be released to the awardee Institution/Organisation only.

2. The grant does not allow any provision for construction of any building or acquiring vehicles,
establishment of or purchase of new research facility lab, Office Furniture, etc.
3. Funding cannot be transferred to other institutions without the prior approval of IKS Division.
4. Once project is selected, a formal Intimation letter and sanction order will be issued by the IKS Division.
Total Grant of the project is finalized based on the proposal approved under the project. sanction order
provides detailed breakup of funds allocated as per Budget Heads mentioned in Scheme Guidelines.
5. All the procurement should be as per procedure laid down in GFR.
6. IKS Division reserves sole rights on the assets created out of grants. Assets acquired wholly or
substantially out of government grants (except those declared as obsolete and unserviceable or condemned
in accordance with the procedure laid down in GFR), shall not be disposed of without obtaining the prior
approval of IKS Division.
7. The Organization/Institution will maintain separate audited accounts for the Project. If it is found
expedient to keep a part or whole of the grant in a bank account earning interest, the interest thus earned
should be reported to IKS and should be reflected in the UC, SoE (Payment & Receipt Column). The
interest thus earned will be treated as a credit to the Organisation and to be adjusted towards further
instalment of the grant.
8. The Organisation will not entrust the implementation of the work (except the out-sourced part as
approved) for which the grant has been sanctioned to any other Organisation nor will it divert the grant
receipts to any other Organisation as assistance. In case the Organisation is not in a position to implement
or complete the Project, it should forthwith, refund to IKS Division the entire grant received by it or the
balance grant remaining with it along with the reports.
9. All the assets acquired from the grant given by IKS Division will be the property of the IKS Division and
should not, without the prior sanction of the IKS Division, be disposed-off or encumbered or utilized for
purposes other than those for which the grant has been sanctioned.
10. IKS Division reserves the right to terminate the Project at any stage if it is convinced that the grant has
not been properly utilized or satisfactory progress is not being made.
11. The comptroller & Auditor General of India, at his discretion, shall have the right of access to the books
and accounts of the Institute/organisation maintained in respect of the grant received for the project from
the IKS Division.
12. Any un-spent balance out of the amount sanctioned must be surrendered to the IKS Division through a
crossed RTGS/Online or Demand Draft drawn in favour of IKS Division, MoE.
13. Organizations like Gurukulas/NGOs/Trusts/Foundations must submit Darpan Certificate and last three
years IT Returns of the Organization.
14. In case of Exemption of the Guidelines & Terms and Conditions, IKS Division of Ministry of Education
would be empowered to take suitable decision. Investigators wishing to publish technical/ scientific papers
based on the research work done under the Project should acknowledge the support received from IKS
Division, indicating the Programme. Investigators are expected to publish a few of their research papers
emerging out of the Project in leading Indian Journals.

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 THE INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS DIVISION OF MoE

भारतीयज्ञानसम्पोषणगवेषणकेन्द्रम्-06
IKS Centre (Research) PROPOSAL COVER PAGE (not included in page limit)
Proposal Title:

Thematic Areas CODE (Please see Annexture-1):

Lead Researcher (Principal Investigator):

Name:
Email address:
Phone number:
Academic rank:
Appointment type:
Physical work location:
Academic home department:
Co-PI(s) (if any):

Cooperator(s)/ Collaborator(s) (if any):

Project Budget Amount:

I certify that I will lead the project and complete all the tasks outlined in the proposal. I certify that a complete
project report will be submitted at the end of the project and the funding support from IKS Division of MoE
will be acknowledged in any publication resulting from this work.
Principal Investigator

Date

Principal Investigator Printed Name:

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 IKS CENTRE PROPOSAL BODY 2026-27
(Proposals that exceed the word limits for individual sections will be returned without review)

Abstract of the proposal (250 words): What is the project about? Describe the project idea here. Please
note that this abstract will be published on the IKS Division Website. Please do not include any proprietary
knowledge or ideas in this section. Please write this for general public.

Overview of the proposal (250 words): What is the proposal about? Describe the key idea behind the IKS
Centre here. What are the focus areas for this IKS Centre?

Contribution to the IKS Mission (250 words): How does this project contribute to the IKS Division’s
mission?

Justification (500 words): Please provide a justification for the project and its importance.

Objectives and timelines (250 words): Please provide a clear list of specific objectives for this IKS Centre.
Two-Four objectives are reasonable for this solicitation. Clear and specific objectives will be given higher
weightage.

Published Work in the last 100 years related to the Proposed Research Project (500 words): Please list
out any research papers/articles/books or any other published work matching to the proposed topic.

Project Intellectual merit (500 words): What are the questions that will be addressed under the proposed
research? Describe the unique contributions of this project to IKS (with respect to Gyan/Parampara,
Vigyan/Laukik Prayojana and Jeevan Darshan/Drishti) with a focus on
 Epistemology (

 Ontology (

 Methodology (
Project broader impacts (250 words): What are the broader (Societal, economic and environmental
impacts? How will this centre contribute to popularization of IKS?

Outputs and outcomes of the proposal (250 words): What are the outputs and outcomes of the project?
Please prepare a list of specific outputs and outcomes. DO NOT use paragraphs to describe the outputs/
outcomes.

Procedures (1000 words): Please provide a summary of the procedures that will be used in this project. A
brief summary of the procedures is all that is required with adequate references to literature.

Education plan (250 words): How do you plan to educate students about IKS area? What are the specific
plans for educating students in the proposed areas of focus for this IKS centre? Please be specific about the
proposed activities.

Mentoring plan (500 words): Mentoring next generation of scholars is a high priority for IKS Division.
What are your mentoring plans for the project associates, students and interns who will be involved with this
centre? Please be specific about the proposed activities.

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Communication Dissemination plan (250 words): How do you plan to disseminate the results from your
centre to school/ high school/ undergraduate students? How do you plan to reach general public? How will
you promote the IKS among the general public? Please be specific about the proposed activities.

Project team expertise (250 words): Please tell us about the prior experience of the PI and the Co-PIs in the
proposed topic. What are the facilities available to the team to perform the research work outlined in the
proposal? Expertise existing with each of the investigators in terms of preliminary results, to execute every
component of the proposal should be highlighted.

Specific roles of Co-PI(s) and Cooperator(s)/ Collaborator(s), if listed on cover page (250 words): What
are the specific roles of the team members? The team must include substantial contribution from all members. If
the proposal contains more than one investigator, it is important to clearly mention the role of each
Investigator in implementing the objectives of the proposal.

Timelines (100 words): Indicate timelines for project tasks and schedule of activities giving milestones
through BAR diagram.

Summarized Table: Write the summary of the proposal, highlighting the key elements as per the format
given below:
Note: If the proposal focuses on only 1 thematic area, kindly fill only one table.

Tabl[Link] Theme (No.) -

Interdisciplinary Education and Mentoring Outreach and Dissemination
Research (Plan) (Plan) (Plan)
Objectives
Outputs
Outcome

Tabl[Link] Theme (No.) -

Interdisciplinary Education and Mentoring Outreach and Dissemination
Research (Plan) (Plan) (Plan)
Objectives
Outputs
Outcome

Methodology: Summarize the plan of Research, Education, Outreach.

References cited (not included in the page limit):

 Primary References: Cannot be left blank. Must include at least one primary text. Primary
references are the original texts pertaining to the research proposed. These are typically in Sanskrit or
other Bharatiya Bhashas. The team must have at least one person who can read the primary text
without the aid or any translations.
 Translated primary texts and Secondary References: These pertain to the translations of the
primary texts into various languages including English. Secondary references refer to the texts/
articles such as commentaries for the primary texts.
 Other references: All other pertinent references are included here.

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 IKS Centre BUDGET
(not included in the page limit – please round all figures to nearest hundred rupees)

Budget Distribution:

Funding will be provided to support the following:

 Salary for project personnel/ project associates/ research fellowships/ internships is supported.

 Research/Education/Outreach: Any funding for effectively implementing the education, mentoring and
outreach plan is permitted. The outreach activities must be exclusively IKS centric and must focus on the
core areas of the respective IKS centres. These funds can be used to fund the Honorariums of the Experts
and fellowships of the interns and conducting experiments, field surveys, supplies/books/equipment,
Travel & Contingencies and any other costs associated with the Centres project.

 Overhead: No overhead allowed.

Note: PI or Co-PI salaries/honorariums are NOT supported. Infrastructure, office staff, IT facilities, study
resources, and computing equipment are not supported.

 Matching grants: Proposals from institutions must have A minimum of 100% matching grants in actual
funding by the institute is REQUIRED (i.e A minimum of Rs. 5.00 lakhs/year in financial commitment
is required from the institute). Additional matching grants can be through the in-kind support such as
support for the office staff, infrastructural facilities for the establishment of IKS centre, computers and
other IT support, experimental facilities, and any other in-kind support are clear demonstrators of
institutional support and will strengthen the proposal. The Category-2 IKS Centres are not required to
provide a 100% matching grant.
 Total budget = Budget request from the IKS Division+ Matching Grant. The funding request from the
IKS Division must not exceed Rs. 5 Lakhs/year for the two years.

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Resume Format (Do not exceed two pages for each investigator. The resumes are not included in the page limit)

1. Name:
2. Correspondence Address:
3. Email:
4. Contact Numbers:
5. Institution:
6. Academic Qualification:
7. Total Work Experience (in chronological order)
8. Professional Recognition/ Award/ Prize/ Certificate, Fellowship (if any):
9. Peer Reviewed Publications:
10. Details of Patents (If any):
11. Books/Reports/Chapters/General Articles etc.:
12. Ongoing/completed Projects during the last 5 years:
13. Your competence to undertake this project (Maximum 500 words):
14. Any other information (Maximum 500 words):

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 Certificate from the Investigator
(not included in the page limit)

Project Title:

It is certified that

1. The same project proposal has not been submitted elsewhere for financial support.
2. I undertake that spare time on equipment procured in the project will be made available to other users.
3. I agree to submit ethical clearance certificate from the concerned ethical committee, if the project
involves field trails/ experiments/ exchange of specimens, human & animal materials etc.
4. The research work proposed in the scheme/ project does not in any way duplicate the work already done or
being carried out elsewhere on the subject.
5. Publication Acknowledgement: Work conducted under this project and published in technical/scientific
papers or books will acknowledge the support received from the IKS Division of Ministry of Education.
This acknowledgement will explicitly mention the specific IKS Division program that provided the support.
6. We understand that the IKS Division holds full copyright for all materials produced during the course of
projects it funds. The authorship will remain with the Investigators and their students as appropriate. The
IKS Division will have an unrestricted right to use, distribute, modify, and publish these materials for any
purpose deemed beneficial to the IKS mission. We understand that no additional royalties will be paid for
such use of the materials by the IKS Division.
7. I agree to abide by the terms and conditions of IKS Division of MoE grant.

Signature of the PI:

Name of the PI:

Affiliation of the PI:

Place:

Date:

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 Endorsement from the Head of the Institution (on institution letter head)
(not included in the page limit)
This is to certify that:

1. Certified that the Institute welcomes participation of as the

Principal Investigator and as the Co-Investigator for the project titled
, and that in the unforeseen event of discontinuance by the Principal
Investigator, the Principal Co- Investigator will assume the responsibility of the fruitful completion of
the project with due information to IKS Division of MoE.

2. The date of project starts from the date on which the Institute receives the grant from Indian Knowledge
Systems Division of MoE, New Delhi.

3. The investigator will be governed by the rules and regulations of Institute and will be under
administrative control of the Institute for the duration of the project.

4. The grant-in-aid by the IKS Division of MoE, New Delhi will be used to meet the expenditure on the
project and for the period for which the project has been sanctioned as mentioned in the sanction order.

5. No administrative or other liability will be attached to the IKS Division of MoE, New Delhi at the end
of the project.

6. The Institute will provide basic infrastructure and other required facilities to the investigator for
undertaking the research project.

7. The Institute will take into its books of all assets created in the above project and its disposal would be
at the discretion of the IKS Division of MoE, New Delhi.

8. The institute will provide a matching grant in the following heads (for Category-1):
In Kind contribution: Check all that apply:

• Financial resources: Lakhs/year

• support for the office staff:
• infrastructural facilities for the establishment of IKS Centre:
• computers and other IT support:
• experimental facilities:
• any other in-kind support:

9. The Institute assumes to undertake the financial and other management responsibilities of the
project.

Signature of the Head of the Institution with seal

Date:

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 Annexure-1:
Thematic Area CODE:

1. Vedic Philosophical and Cognitive Sciences

2. Historical and Civilizational Sciences
3. Contemporary Social / Cultural Sciences
4. Mathematical, Physical and Astronomical Sciences
5. Speech and Linguistics
6. Political, Economic and Strategic sciences
7. Medical and Health sciences
8. Culinary, Nutritional and Pharmacological Sciences
9. Agricultural Science, Veterinary and Animal
Husbandry
10. Performing Arts
11. Mechanical & Digital Design & Engineering
12. Civil and Architectural Science
13. Fine Arts and Sculpture
14. Chemical, Metallurgical & Material Sciences
15. Fashion and Interior Design
16. Edutainment Sciences

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 Examples of what qualify/do not qualify as an IKS project

Example of a Non-IKS /
Thematic Area Example of an IKS-Aligned Project
Not IKS Project
1. आन्वीक्षिकी क्षिभाग / Vedic Study of pramāṇa theory (pratyakṣa, anumāna, General introduction to
Philosophical and Cognitive śabda) in Nyāya and its relevance to modern Indian philosophy and
Sciences cognitive science cognitive science
2. इक्षिहास एिं सभ्यिा क्षिभाग / Study and document the history of the
Chronological listing of
Historical and Civilizational Bharatiya dynasties and their paramparas (oral
historical sites
Sciences traditions). Eg Ahom Dynasty
Study of traditional communities, their
3. लौक्षककशास्त्र क्षिभाग /
traditions, land governance systems, concepts Survey of current societal
Contemporary Social / Cultural of Gram Mandirs, Sacred Groves etc. and their problems
Sciences relevance
4. गक्षिि-भौि-ज्यौक्षिष क्षिभाग / Listing ancient Indian
Study of astronomical calculations in Sūrya
Mathematical, Physical and astronomers or
Siddhānta using observational data
Astronomical Sciences mathematicians
5. िाग्विभाग / Speech and Contextual analysis of key Sanskrit terms Word-frequency count in a
Linguistics across śāstric traditions Sanskrit text
6. राजनीक्षि एिं अर्थ शास्त्र क्षिभाग / Application of Arthaśāstra principles to
Study of Western economic
Political, Economic and Strategic contemporary public administration and
theories
Sciences governance
Pharmacology study of formulations from
7. भै षज्य एिं आरोग्य क्षिभाग / Study of modern drugs and
classical Ayurvedic texts or Documentation of
Medical and Health Sciences their effects on humans
Traditional Medicinal Plants
Nutritional and biochemical evaluation of
8. द्रव्य-गुि-संयोग क्षिभाग /
traditional Indian diets described in classical Documenting/Collection of
Culinary, Nutritional and texts like Kshemakutuhalam or allied modern recipes
Pharmacological Sciences texts/oral traditions
Farmer perception survey on
9. कृक्षष एिं पशु पाल्य क्षिभाग / Experimental validation of crop, soil, or
agriculture/ Studying the
Agricultural, Veterinary and animal-care practices from Vṛkṣāyurveda or
concepts of modern-day
Animal Husbandry Sciences allied texts/oral traditions
organic farming techniques
Analytical study of Nāṭyaśāstra principles and Recording a dance or music
10. गां धिथ क्षिभाग / Performing Arts
chapters performance
11. यां क्षिक एिं नव्य अक्षभयां क्षिकी Reconstruction and functional analysis of
क्षिभाग / Mechanical & Digital ancient tools (yantras) described in classical Designing a modern machine
Design & Engineering texts
12. िास्तु क्षिभाग / Civil and Structural and material analysis of temple or Architectural photography of
Architectural Sciences stepwell architecture based on Vāstuśāstra monuments
Study of iconometric rules (tālamāna) in
classical sculpture and their aesthetic logic
13. क्षशल्प-आले ख्य क्षिभाग / Fine Cataloguing sculptures or
Study and documentation of traditional art
Arts and Sculpture documentation of modern art
forms of Bharat, like Madhubani, Pattachitra
etc.
Scientific analysis of traditional metallurgy,
14. रस-धािु क्षिभाग / Chemical,
metal extraction processes or rasāyana Chemical testing of modern
Metallurgical and Material processes described in classical texts (Eg. alloys
Sciences Rasaratnakara)
Study of textile materials, dyes, and design Modern fashion trend
15. अलङ्काराक्षि क्षिभाग / Fashion
principles from traditional Indian sources (Eg. analysis
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 and Interior Design viṣṇudharmottara purāṇa)
Developing educational games, apps or
Creating generic educational
card/board games based on traditional Indian
16. शै िक्षिक-क्रीड़नीयक क्षिभाग / games on regular school
knowledge frameworks (Eg. Quiz App-
Edutainment Sciences subjects like Maths or
Questions based on Indian Knowledge
Physics
Systems)

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