MANDI:  Mental Health is a new pandemic and in India, stigma attached to it has made it all the more  serious concern, reveal the scientists. With this prime concern,  Indian knowledge system and mental health (IKSMH)  will now be studied as a formalised scientific discipline at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi for betterment of society at large, they assert.

The IKSMH programme has been churned out by top scientists and experts from top-ranking Indian and US institutions who came on board at a three-day long workshop on ‘Indian Knowledge System and Mental Health’ that concluded at IIT Mandi on March 27.

The IITs’   scientists and academicians say that the IKSMH programme has set new standards for an inclusive paradigm for science and technology. “A roadmap has been chalked out through rigorous brainstorming to establish this unique program”, they add.  

The artificial intelligence is a reality now. The human-computer interaction has increased. Indian Knowledge System (IKS) education promises benefits for the body, the mind, and the consciousness. The workshop covered talks and brainstorming on graduate curricula based on IKS and other related different research topics.

Addressing the inaugural event K Sanjay Murthy, secretary, Ministry of Education, Government of India, who was the chief guest said transformation of traditional knowledge forms into science is the need of the hour. "It is essential that these knowledge systems be standardised in terms of their utility and consumption by the general population without creating any hype or unverified claims. IIT Mandi has taken this step to formalize Indian Knowledge Systems as a scientific discipline”, he added.

Murthy said the youth and seniors alike suffer from various mental disorders silently as the stigma is attached to mental health in India. “It needs a holistic framework provided under Indian knowledge system for its acceptance among Indians”, he added.

IIT Mandi has envisioned a comprehensive IKSMH programme using bio-signals such as electroencephalograms (EEGs), brain imaging, as well as virtual reality-based immersive neuron-feedback.

Highlighting the importance of the workshop, Professor Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi said the very foundation of the Indian Knowledge System was built on the hypothesis that matter in its elementary (subtle) form is cognitive and thus cognitive emotion and behaviour are not emergent properties of any complex molecular combinations.

Prof. Behera said, “Is the mind simply the brain in action, or a more fundamental object than any fundamental object known within empirical science?”. “Even the Nobel laureate Christof Koch has changed his stance from the former to the latter. Understanding cognition qua cognition is not only a very fundamental question within science, but also has the ability to change the discourse of natural science and associated technology in complementing harmonious and sustainable existence.”

Professor Behera cited recent studies on IKS such as yoga, meditation, music, Sanskrit, and other forms of performing arts. “They also demonstrate the therapeutic values they bring to human psychic nature in terms of cognitive enhancement, stress relief, alleviation of depression, and so forth”.

He said biological signals such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional brain images along with the virtual reality-based neuro-feedback approaches have ushered a new age of scientific innovations. “With this, many claims of IKS can be verified and standardized for effective consumption by the general populace”, he added.

IKSMH Curricula

Behera further said mental health is becoming an issue for everyone like a pandemic due to a lack of proper scientific understanding of the holistic nature of body, brain, and mind. “IIT Mandi has taken the initiative to start an academic program on IKS and Mental Health. A proper deliberation will help this program to get the right direction.

There will be a brainstorming panel discussion on course curriculum as well as a similar discussion on enumerating relevant research agendas useful for society at large. “I welcome everyone for joining in these very important deliberations that may set new standards for an inclusive paradigm for science and technology”, he added.

In his welcome address Dr. Varun Dutt, Associate Professor, School of Computing and Electrical Engineering, IIT Mandi said recent research reveals the importance and benefits of IKS for the human body, mental health, and wellbeing. “IKS roots are grounded in Indian history, philosophy, society, arts, languages, science and technology and life sciences”, added Dr Dutt.  

Guest of Honour, Padma Shri Acharya Nagendra said IIT Mandi  IIT Mandi has brought together experts from all around the world to share their knowledge about the Indian Knowledge System. “With mental health becoming a major concern globally, it is imperative we go back to our Indian Knowledge System and find solutions that can help us lead better life”.

Panelists  discussed topics related to curriculum formation on Indian Knowledge System, yoga and meditation for promotion and mental health, art forms endorsing mental health, and Ayurveda, psychology, and mental health along with various brainstorming sessions.  "A roadmap has been chalked out through rigorous brainstorming to establish this unique program on Indian Knowledge System and Mental Health (IKSMH)".

IIT Mandi aims to provide students, academia, and practitioners with insights on empirical research pertaining to the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) and mental health.

Experts from IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, California Institute of Technology, IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) AIIMS New Delhi, AIIMS Rishikesh, INMAS DRDO, University of Groningen, Patanjali Research Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Creative Movement Therapy Association of India, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, SIVAS Health Research Institute, Secunderabad, US Department of Veterans Affairs, USA, Loyola Marymount University, Texas University, Being AI, and Breathing Minds participated in this workshop.

Dr. Arnav Bhavsar, Associate Professor, School of Computing & Electrical Engineering, IIT Mandi, proposed the vote of thanks at the function.

The workshop was organised in partnership with IIT Mandi iHub and HCI Foundation and was sponsored by the State Bank of India, Netweb Technologies, and Hospimedical.  

(Kuldeep Chauhan is Editor Himbu Mail)