Integrating Indian Knowledge Systems into Teacher Education in India: Need and Challenges

India’s NEP 2020 emphasizes the importance of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) for education today and encourages purposeful use of IKS in curricula and teacher preparation. The aim of this article is to rationalize the need for IKS in teacher education preparation and to discuss the challenges-the hurdles-that need to be overcome in order to achieve this. The paper asserts that the presence of IKS in either teacher identity, instructional design, or community engagement, through the lens of culturally responsive pedagogy, epistemic justice, and decolonial thought, can enhance education by valuing existing classical knowledge traditions such as, but not limited to, Nyāya or Ayurveda, local and tribal knowledge, languages, arts, ecology, craft, and philosophical-ethical systems. It presents the reasoning behind teaching this content, how this content might contribute to the skills needed in the 21st century, and what it means for curriculum, assessment, and practicum. The analysis also identifies concerns and barriers such as tension in the epistemology; tokenism; essentialism; faculty capacity gaps; resource scarcity; language and translation; fit with accreditation and assessment; and challenges with academic rigor and inclusivity. It presents an implementation model that describes stepwise capacity building, community engagement, open educational resources, research and evaluation plans, and the protection of pluralism equity. The final conclusion notes that the consideration of IKS in teacher education is both a moral responsibility and a pedagogical opportunity, and that if this is done, it should be with a critical, evidence-informed, and contextually sensitive approach.