Indian Values and ethics in Education: Foundations, Challenges, and Contemporary Relevance

This study examines the philosophical foundations, historical development, practical challenges, and current relevance of Indian values and ethics in education. This article argues that India's value traditions are dynamic ethical resources, drawing from classical sources like the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gītā, contemporary thinkers like Gandhi, Tagore, Vivekananda, Aurobindo, and Ambedkar, and policy frameworks like the National Policy on Education 1986, 2005 National Curriculum Framework 2005, and National Education Policy 2020. This study synthesizes dharma-centered ethics, pluralism, holistic development, and social justice to provide an integrated curriculum, pedagogy, and evaluation framework. It addresses implementation issues like value fragmentation, assessment limits, teacher preparation gaps, and disparities and proposes ethical inquiry across topics, reflective and community-based learning, and formative disposition evaluation. The study finds that Indian ethical traditions, when evaluated critically and inclusively, can help develop character, civic duty, and ecological sensitivity, advancing contemporary education aims.