BEYOND IQ: INTEGRATING EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE FOR HOLISTIC EDUCATION THROUGH THE LENS OF INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM

Abstract

An education system based only on Intelligence Quotient (IQ) seems inadequate for holistic development in a time of fast change and growing psychological difficulties among students. Through the viewpoint of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), this chapter reimagines education by emphasizing Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) as crucial aspects of learning. It emphasizes how SQ cultivates self-awareness, ethical consciousness, and a stronger sense of purpose, while EQ cultivates emotional control, empathy, and resilience, drawing on theoretical insights and current research (Goleman, 1995; Zohar and Marshall, 2000). The study offers a culturally grounded framework for fusing academic learning with personal growth, grounded in the wisdom of books like the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. The chapter makes the case that going beyond IQ is essential to producing well-rounded, morally upright, and socially conscious people, so coordinating education with the more general objectives of holistic human development.