LIFE SKILLS AND IKS: INTEGRATING ANCIENT WISDOM FOR HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Education is a crucial pillar for the development of human resources in any society across the globe. Education with Life Skills is a behavioral development approach designed to meet every day life's challenges by focusing primarily on knowledge, attitude and skills areas to cultivate a balanced personality (UNICEF). Indian civilization has always put the highest value on knowledge, which enables men to get over their small selves and nurtures ‘eternal bliss’ through a connected worldview (Kapoor, K., 2005). Unlike the conventional educational system, which focused an intense emphasis on the compartmentalization of knowledge, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) made a positive contribution to the holistic approach to learning by incorporating various disciplines of yoga, meditation, arts, literature, Ayurveda, and philosophical discourses that interconnect the mind, body, and spirit and are essential for an individual to lead a balanced and purposeful life (Baral, S.2024). In this context, life skills is reflected in the knowledge, wisdom, experience and self-realization rooted in the practical affairs of IKS that are passed down from one generation to another. The article analyses the potential of IKS in advancing life skills such as critical thinking, interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and adaptability for addressing modern educational challenges and future learning outcomes, fostering competent people who can proactively contribute to their communities and environment.