India Welcomes Traditional Scholars to Top Institutions Without Degrees

In a bold move, the Indian government has launched the Setubandha Vidwan Yojana program, which welcomes traditional scholars from the country's gurukul system into top-tier institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), even if they don't hold formal academic degrees.

This initiative is designed to integrate India's ancient knowledge systems with modern academic research. Under the scheme, scholars from gurukul backgrounds can now apply for research fellowships at IITs and other institutions, earning up to ₹65,000 per month along with annual research grants.

The program follows the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which called for the integration of Indian knowledge systems into mainstream education. NEP aims to reimagine learning as holistic, inclusive, and rooted in India's civilizational heritage, while also embracing global standards.

This move represents a significant shift in India's approach to recognizing the depth of traditional learning in Shastras and Indian knowledge systems (IKS), without insisting on conventional degrees. It opens up a pathway for traditional scholars to contribute meaningfully to 21st-century science and policy.