The two-day National Seminar on “Integrating Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) in Teacher Education: Opportunities and Challenges in North East India,” held on March 17-18, 2026, at Nagaland University, concluded with resounding success, fostering vibrant discussions on blending indigenous wisdom with modern pedagogy.
The inaugural session on Day One March 17, chaired by Dr. Neha Rawat, Co-Convener, began with ceremonial lamp lighting and tokens of appreciation. Prof. Jano S. Liegise delivered the welcome address, underscoring IKS’s role in contextual, inclusive teacher education. Prof. P. K. Pattnaik presented the background note, noting 80 paper submissions (60 offline, 20 online). Keynote speaker Prof. Prasanta Kumar Acharya elaborated on IKS in NEP 2020, advocating documentation, contextual pedagogy, and curricular reforms. Prof. N. Venuh, Pro VC, Nagaland University, Kohima Campus addressed regional challenges and tradition preservation, while Chief Guest Prof. Jagadish K. Patnaik, VC, Nagaland University stressed civilizational values and IKS-technology integration. Prof. Gyanendra Nath Tiwari offered the vote of thanks.
This was followed by a lecture session where Prof. Lungsang Zeliang explored stakeholder roles in IKS integration under NEP 2020, highlighting indigenous knowledge via NEIKS in agriculture, crafts, and community institutions. She called for collaboration among policymakers, educators, practitioners, UGC, NCERT, and NAAC, emphasizing experiential pedagogy and research.
Parallel technical sessions enriched deliberations. In Room 1, chaired by Dr. P. K. Pattnaik, focus fell on institutional partnerships, digital pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, and indigenous language preservation. Room 2, under Dr. Sushil Kumar Singh, covered cultural identity, traditional weaving, and awareness-building, recommending curriculum integration and practical modules. The online session, chaired by Dr. Pradipta Kumar Mishra and co-chaired by Dr. Seema Rani Thappa delved into Pancha Kosha, implementation challenges, pedagogical models, digital ethics, AI integration, and interdisciplinary policy approaches.
Day Two March 18, opened with lectures chaired by Dr. Neha Rawat. Prof. Gyanendra Nath Tiwari discussed tribal knowledge documentation, ecological wisdom, and integration strategies, while Dr. Sushil Kumar Singh examined marginalization challenges and teacher education’s bridging role between traditional and modern knowledge.
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Afternoon technical sessions spanned three rooms. Room 1, chaired by Dr. Sushil Kumar Singh, addressed ethnomathematics, ecological knowledge, leadership, career alignment, plant knowledge, and sustainability. Room 2, led by Dr. Seema Rani Thappa, explored digital competency, traditional medicine, Satra institutions, community-based learning, and indigenous crafts. Room 3, under Dr. Anju Verma, focused on digital storytelling, stakeholder frameworks, linguistic diversity, healing practices, equity, NCF-2023 alignment, and cultural preservation.
The valedictory session featured remarks by Dr. Sushil Kumar Singh, a welcome by Prof. Gyanendra Nath Tiwari, and an address by Chief Guest Prof. Nigamananda Das on cultural revival. Dr. Neha Rawat presented the seminar report, followed by certificate distribution and a vote of thanks by Prof. P. K. Pattnaik, ending with the National Anthem.
In all, 53 of 55 papers were presented by participants nationwide, including UG, PG, and PhD students, with research spanning conceptual, empirical, and qualitative studies—especially contextualized to Northeast India, notably Nagaland—marking the seminar as a milestone in IKS advancement.
