Under the aegis of Amity University Madhya Pradesh, Amity Institute of Behavioural and Allied Sciences organized a two-days National Workshop on "Indian Knowledge Systems and Psychology" on 18th and 19th July. The program was inaugurated with "Jñanagni". The purpose of Jñanagni was to set the tune of the workshop with Indian rootedness of Bhartiya Parampara. In addition to delegates from various parts of the country, large number of students, teachers and research scholars from AUMP offered Gayatri Mantras followed by Purnahuti in Jñanagni.
Professionals working in the field of Psychology and health from almost all the states of the country and abroad, psychiatrists, scholars, researchers and students from various universities, colleges and research institutes actively participated in this National Workshop. The cardinal objectives of the National Workshop were as under:
· To understand different sources of Indian Knowledge Systems in current perspective.
· To assimilate IKS based sources with the subject matter of Psychology.
· Integration of IKS and Psychology in the light of identified principle of National Education Policy 2020.
In the workshop, discussions were held to understand and improve mental health and well-being from the perspective of ancient Indian philosophy and traditions such as Yoga, Ayurveda, Vedas etc. and also there was an in-depth discussion on incorporating Indian traditions in the course curriculum of Psychology at the undergraduate level of Madhya Pradesh. The aim of the workshop was also to provide a holistic way of understanding the positive mental health by adopting an integrated approach of the values ??and principles of Indian Knowledge Systems along with the global perspectives on Psychology.
The inaugural session of the workshop was addressed by the Chief Patron of the program and Pro-Vice Chancellor, Lieutenant General VK Sharma. Experts' lectures in the workshop included Prof. Vandana Sharma (Patiala), leading expert on Indian Knowledge Systems Prof. Mukesh Mishra (Bhopal), Prof. J.C. Ajwani (Raipur), Prof. PK Rai (Sagar), Prof. Neena Kohli (Prayagraj), Prof. Anjali (Prayagraj), Prof. Anjali Mallik & Prof. Deepti Hooda (Rohtak), Dr. Mallika Sharma (United Kingdom) and other scholars who shared their views. In two technical sessions, researchers presented their research papers. This gave the participants an opportunity to learn psychological concepts derived from ancient Indian texts and explore their applications in modern life.
On the second day, "Manollas Vatika" was unveiled with Vedic mantras to understand and demonstrate the connection between mind and nature. An in-depth discussion was held to incorporate Indian Knowledge Systems in the curriculum proposed by the Higher Education Department, Madhya Pradesh. In these session, faculty and students from various parts of Madhya Pradesh particularly examined and critically evaluated the existing courses for further supplementation. The program was conducted under the guidance of Prof. (Dr.) NovRattan Sharma, Director, Amity Institute of Behavioural and Allied Sciences. Workshop Convenor Dr. Uday Prakash Verma and Coordinators Dr. Sandhya Garg and Dr. Ritu Raj had a special contribution in making this program successful.