Academy of Vedic maths planned

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 28.

To popularise the subject of ``Vedic mathematics'', the newly- formed International Research and Resource Foundation for Indian Heritage will be incorporating the ``World Academy of Vedic Mathematics'' soon.

While the noted jurist, Dr. L. M. Singhvi, has agreed to be its president, Mrs. Alka Sahni, Principal of the Nagpur-based ``Bharati Krishna Vidya Vihar'', being run by the Puri Shankaracharya Sri Bharati Krishna Teerath, and affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be its General Secretary.

The move to set up a World Academy follows a series of workshops on Vedic mathematics conducted across the country since 1998. In Delhi, workshops have been held at Cambridge School, DAV School, Modern School, Tagore International and the schools affiliated to Amity Foundation.

``We want to popularise vedic mathematics and also prove its utility. This has been a controversial subject and an effort would be made to refute it and steer clear of political propaganda,'' Ms. Sahni said.

Interestingly, Vedic mathematics is having a resurgence across the globe. Schools run by the London-based School of Economic Science and its affiliates have it as part of their curriculum and reputed author, Mr. James Glover, has published a book, ``Vedic Mathematics for Schools''. A Special Centre of Vedic Mathematics has also been established in Singapore for drawing up a school curriculum.

``Vedic mathematics is becoming more popular abroad,'' says Mr. R. P. Jain of Motilal Banarasidass Publishing House, pointing out that they have published a large number of foreign scholars who have done research on the subject. ``We have agreed to be an institutional member of the newly formed body to promote Vedic mathematics,'' Mr. Jain says.

In India, efforts to promote scientific understanding of the subject has been sporadic. The Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan has been making efforts for quite some time to promote Vedic Mathematics through their courses. ``Experts in India lack teaching experience due to which it is not able to prosper here. On the other hand, those who happen to be experts have some bias or the other towards it,'' he adds.

Realising that the subject was not being taught properly here, the Puri Shankaracharya began its teaching in his school at Nagpur. ``We are now having it as part of the school curriculum,'' Ms. Sahni says, adding that more than 15 workshops have been held all over the country in the past two years.

The Academy will also develop small-time courses on Vedic mathematics so that the younger generation can get acquainted with the subject. ``The way modern mathematics is taught, many consider it a dreadful subject. But the approach to learning in Vedic mathematics is so exciting that youngsters are likely to be drawn to it,'' Ms. Sahni points out.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : A rather mixed show by Class of 2001
Next     : Dr. Ramalingaswami dead