A new grassroots revolution: How gaushalas and iks are rewiring India’s education
It is perhaps time we paused the tired political drama that resurfaces after every election cycle — the familiar chorus that the opposition’s downfall was engineered by the CIA and Mossad, or that the Electronic Voting Machines have somehow conspired against them.
India today has moved far beyond these reflexive narratives. The pulse of the nation is shifting, especially in rural and semi-urban India, where students, communities, and educational institutions are quietly shaping a more self-reliant, sustainable and culturally rooted future. This transformation—organic, decentralised, and deeply Indian—is taking place in states that have not succumbed to an allergy toward Sanatan dharma, and are instead embracing a pragmatic blend of heritage and modernity.
Across regions like Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh a new awareness is taking form. There is a growing conviction that schools, universities, and community learning centres should host gaushalas—not as religious symbols, but as hubs of ecological, cultural, and scientific learning. The idea is simple yet profound: what students grasp with their hands and senses remains with them far longer than what they memorise from textbooks. A gaushala becomes a living laboratory where lessons on sustainability come alive.
Within these spaces, children learn how cow dung and urine enrich soil, how organic farming cycles work, and how waste becomes resource and generates income. The complex concepts of carbon footprint reduction and soil regeneration suddenly become tangible. Environmental education stops being theory and turns into experience.
Students also understand where milk actually comes from, how dairy supply chains operate, and why indigenous cattle breeds matter for ecological resilience. This nurtures an early respect for farmers, rural economies, and the symbiotic relationships that have sustained Indian agriculture for centuries. When a school gaushala demonstrates biogas production, composting, and natural pesticide preparation, the circular economy ceases to be an abstract idea and becomes visible, smellable, touchable reality.
Just as importantly, activities like feeding the cows, cleaning sheds, or observing veterinary care develop patience, discipline, teamwork, and responsibility—qualities no textbook can impart. A gaushala in a school is not a religious project; it is an ecosystem of learning that fits seamlessly into the broader framework of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS). It nurtures compassion, environmental consciousness, cultural understanding, and scientific curiosity. In short, it turns the cow from a mere cultural motif into a dynamic classroom.
IKS itself represents India’s vast indigenous knowledge heritage—spanning ancient sciences, agriculture, ecology, medicine, arts, governance, and philosophy. Within this framework, gaushalas offer a practical entry point for students to explore why cows hold a revered place in Indian civilisation. They learn how cattle shaped agriculture, village economies, traditional medicine like Ayurveda, and daily life. Tradition is no longer presented as blind belief but as a sustainable, time-tested system.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 pushes for integrating IKS into curricula at various levels—schools, universities, and vocational training—through electives or embedded modules. Most IKS courses highlight interconnected ecological ideas such as traditional farming practices, livestock management, sustainable development, and indigenous crop–animal integration. “Cow welfare” appears as part of these broader themes, not as a mandatory standalone subject. Institutions have the freedom to introduce gaushala-linked learning under agriculture, ecology, environmental science, or traditional knowledge depending on local needs.
In 2025, for instance, the Uttar Pradesh Government reportedly proposed incorporating “cow studies” into school curricula covering cattle management, welfare, and environmental roles. However, such modules are not part of centrally curated IKS programmes. Similarly, several educational institutions—like Andhra University and Kamdhenu University—offer vocational diplomas and degrees in dairying, including IKS audits on cattle breeds, nutrition, by-products, and gaushala management. These courses belong to agricultural or veterinary streams rather than the core IKS umbrella.
Gujarat has long been a pioneer in this field. With around 1,689 gaushalas as of March 2024, it ranks fourth among Indian states after Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Many schools, colleges, ashram schools, tribal institutions, and gurukuls in the state maintain gaushalas that function as “knowledge-and-culture labs.” Notable examples include Lok Bharati Gram Vidyapeeth in Bhavnagar, Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Sri Krishna Gaushala in Amreli district, Swaminarayan gurukuls, and various tribal residential schools.
Former Union Minister Vallabhai Katharia notes that Gujarat Vidyapith’s historic “Gangaba Gaushala”—which began with a single cow—has grown into a full facility with milking houses, sheds, compost pits, and Gir cows whose milk is used for students and staff.
Across the state’s 730 tribal residential schools, parents and teachers encourage students to manage gaushalas and explore small-scale rural entrepreneurship such as milk sales and value-added products like dung-based items and gomutra formulations. Even urban centres like Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, maintain their own small gaushalas, linking urban learning with rural wisdom.
The ethos behind these efforts is mirrored in institutions like Shree Somnath Sanskrit University in Veraval, Gorakhpur University in Uttar Pradesh, and Sagar University in Madhya Pradesh—all of which have played significant roles in promoting cultural learning rooted in sustainability.
In Karnataka, about 40 kilometres from Bengaluru, lies a remarkable education-cum-community centre named Udhbhavaha. It aims to nurture the head, heart, and hands of the child—an education that produces balanced individuals capable of contributing to society meaningfully. The community—comprising teachers, children, and parents—seeks a purposeful, connected life grounded in Indian culture.
Their journey draws inspiration from the scholar K. S. Narayanacharya, celebrated for his discourses on the Ramayana in Kannada, English, Sanskrit, and Tamil. The centre is mentored by Kala Ratna Ravindra Sharma of Adilabad, the founder of Kalashram, along with Dharampal and Pawan Gupta.
Prithvi Raj, a founding member and teacher, explains that Udhbhavaha operates on a “need-based salary and donation” model, maintaining financial humility and cultural authenticity. Students learn not only academics but also farming, martial arts, organic agriculture, cooking, classical music, and trades like embroidery, carpentry, sketching, and painting. Parents participate as stakeholders in travel, eco-tourism, and community activities.
A unique practice is their five-day padayatras undertaken by a group of 50 people in different states. Locals host and feed them without expectation, prompting participants to introspect about hospitality, gratitude, and community living. Children hear stories from original Panchatantra and Ramayana texts, stage plays, and celebrate Sankranti by honouring artists, farmers, and shepherds.
Across India, such initiatives are growing quietly but steadily. What they now require is institutional support. Those engaged in these experiments—gaushalas, eco-schools, cultural learning centres, and IKS-driven institutions—must be organised into cooperatives. State governments should actively encourage and integrate these cooperatives into broader rural development frameworks.
Because the real story of India today is not about who blames whom for electoral losses. It is about communities, teachers, students, and institutions building a sustainable, self-reliant, culturally confident nation from the grassroots up.
(The author is former Chief Editor of The Hans India)