India has been the centre of learning since ancient times.

There are inscriptions on stones and metals,

palm leaf, bark of the trees as evidences of the historic origins of learning in India. These slowly got
modified into manuscripts then books and now we have e-books, pdfs, and all sort of digital publications
to impart knowledge and education. The entire universe of knowledge is at one mouse click away from
us. These is a vast ocean of knowledge in the world of Internet in modern days.

From the time of Rigveda onwards (1500 B.C and 600 B.C), our ancient education system evolved over
the period and focused on the holistic development of the individual by taking care of both the inner
and the outer self. Both formal and informal ways of education system existed.

The Gurukul system is one such well known means of education which was popular in ancient India.
Under the Gurukul or “ashram” system, there was one superior teacher or guru who used to educate his
disciples irrespective of their caste, or financial position. These Gurukuls were usually in the forest so
that students could have a practical idea on how each thing functions differently on the planet, like
fishing, hunting, warfare (ashtrasashtra), preserving the natural resources, etc. Unlike this, the ‘Modern
Indian Education System’ is based on classroom teaching. With evolution of education learning was
mainly through classroom teachings, using chalk and blackboards. Slowly chalks and blackboards got
modified to markers and white boards. Now during COVID, the new normal has forced us to
concentrate our learnings through internet and online mode. The teachings are imparted through
Computers, laptops, mobiles, Google classrooms, google meet, PowerPoint presentations, and various
other internet platforms.

Temples were also the centres of learning and took interest in the promotion of knowledge of our ancient
system. Students went to “viharas” and universities for higher knowledge. Teaching was mostly oral
and students remembered and meditated upon what was taught in the class. In modern days students
prefer to go abroad for higher studies and learnings are mainly through audio visual illustrations like
small videos, gifs, presentations, etc.

Takshashila was a noted centre of learning, including religious teachings of Buddhism, for several
centuries. It continued to attract students from around the world until its destruction in the 5th century
CE. It was known for its higher education and the curriculum comprised the study of ancient scriptures,
law, medicine, astronomy, military science or arts. Places like Takshashila Vishwa Vidyalaya, the
educational houses during the regime of Akbar, Shahjahan, etc. have encouraged active discussions or
debates between students and also between scholars. The concept of debate is still in practice but only
in the parliament of the country. In educational institutes, debates have merely become a competition
even in which there is no active participation. The educational system during ancient time is mostly
religious and philosophical whereas in modern days education is mostly application based, more into
analytics and logical. The growth of technology has entirely changed our lifestyle and education and
learning patterns are affected as well.

The ancient Nalanda was a centre of learning from the 5th century CE to 12th century CE. Nalanda was
one of the oldest universities of the world. Students from various cultures came at Nalanda and studied
the Vedas and were also trained in fine arts, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, politics and the art of
warfare. Today we follow an education system in which learning takes place through syllabus, curricula,
textbooks and assessment practices.

Yes, learning is a continuous process and this process will continue throughout the existence of this
world. The learning and teaching methods have evolved since man has set foot on this earth. Human
beings have adopted different learning methodologies at different times of their existence. To sum up,
today, teachers as well as students around the world have access to more online learning resources than
ever before, and more web technologies are used in imparting knowledge. However with the
continuation of new normal we never what is next and we need to be prepared and accept what evolves.

The change to classrooms to virtual online classes