IIM Lucknow’s Course On 'Wisdom of Indian Philosophy' To Mentally Groom Future Industry Leaders

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow’s elective course on ‘The Wisdom of Indian Philosophy’ is changing the way students approach real life tasks, by deriving inspiration from India’s roots. While the course is taught in English and has some traces of modern theories, it primarily relies on the tenets of Indian philosophy derived in Sanskrit from Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Samkhya Karika, Upanishads with references from the Bhagavad Gita.  

Indian philosophy predates Thales of Miletus, who is regarded as the first Greek philosopher and the creator of western philosophy, by at least a millennium. This dynamic course employs a holistic and integrated approach, by incorporating numerous fields such as metaphysics, aesthetics, epistemology, sociology, psychology, ethics, life sciences, and even the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and man's interactions with the outside world. 

The course is 15 hours long, and currently running its fourth year. In the current academic year, the elective is running in both the Lucknow campus for the core MBA programme and at the Noida campus for Working Executives MBA programme. The course is created and floated by Professor Anadi Pande, who was motivated to introduce this curriculum to students to help them manage their selves better, reducing stress, anxiety and amongst other things to enhance focus and improve quality of mind.   

To strengthen the conviction of the students, the course is not a mere teaching of India’s prized scriptures. Professor Pande rather, bridges the old adages with contemporary research and medical evidence on theories of consciousness. This way, students can see the real-life implications of such teachings.  

The curriculum also serves to sensitise students to the ideas of ethical action, which may be of use when they embark into the corporate world. One of the primary objectives of this programme is to equip students with skills and ethics that promote organisational well-being and ideal corporate citizenship. The theory of Karma is also an important part of this course.  

The course target's Indian philosophy and its three dominant systems, namely, Samkhya, Yoga, and Vedanta. It also grazes over concepts and theories around ethics, which may perhaps serve as an inspiration for one’s conduct in life. Various Sanskrit sutras are also recited and discussed in the classroom, to help students feel more connected to Indian philosophy. It was given the 'Best Non-Conventional Course' Award by MBA students of IIM Lucknow in 2022-23.  

Moreover, an integral part of this course is, ‘Mind Management’, which teaches students how to develop meditative practices like Kriya Yoga to improve their ability to focus, have a clear mind, and stay sharp. This can in-turn also aid their decision-making skills.