Prayagraj: The Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute (GBPSSI), Prayagraj, is set to establish a Centre for Bhartiya Gyan Parampara, aimed at documenting, preserving, and promoting India's rich intellectual and cultural heritage.
Encyclopaedia of Indian Knowledge Traditions
Institute director Prof Yogendra Pratap Singh announced that a comprehensive encyclopaedia of Indian Bhartiya Gyan Parampara would also be developed as part of this initiative. To further this effort, the institute is organizing a two-day 'Bhartiya Gyan Manthan Workshop' on May 30 and 31, bringing together over 150 university teachers, researchers, scholars, subject experts, policy analysts, and practitioners of traditional knowledge from across the country.
'The workshop will serve as a national platform for discussions on the preservation, documentation, classification, interpretation, and dissemination of Indian knowledge traditions. The deliberations will contribute significantly to the conceptual, methodological, and structural framework of the proposed encyclopaedia, envisioned as a scientific, interdisciplinary, and multilingual repository of India's diverse knowledge traditions,' Prof Singh said.
Scope of the Encyclopaedia
The encyclopaedia will cover not only classical knowledge systems such as the Vedas, Upanishads, philosophy, Ayurveda, mathematics, and astronomy, but also folk traditions, tribal knowledge, oral histories, traditional arts, ecological wisdom, craft traditions, and community-based knowledge systems.
Inauguration and Leadership
The centre will be inaugurated on May 31 by Dayashankar Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Transport Department. The event will be chaired by Prof Akhilesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Prof Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) University, Prayagraj.
The centre will function as a dedicated academic platform for the study, research, documentation, preservation, and dissemination of India's classical, folk, indigenous, and tribal knowledge traditions, while connecting them with contemporary academic discourse and national development priorities.
Centre for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences
Prof Singh also informed that the institute is planning to establish a Centre for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences to undertake interdisciplinary research on the social implications of digital technologies and contemporary transformations in society, culture, communication, and governance. As part of its proposed activities, the centre intends to organize a national conference on Digital Journalism and Technological Innovation in September 2026.
