IKS - CLASS ACTIVITY FOR BAMMC STUDENTS

INDIA'S KNOWLEDGE QUEST – ANCIENT WISDOM FOR A MODERN WORLD

Student Instruction Sheet

 

Course: Indian Knowledge System (in Media & Communication)

Group Presentation & Creative Challenge

Group Size: 6–8 students per group

Duration

·       Preparation: 45–60 minutes (or as assigned by the faculty)

·       Presentation: 10–12 minutes per group

 

Activity Overview

India possesses one of the world's oldest and richest knowledge traditions. From medicine and mathematics to governance, architecture, performing arts, education, communication, and environmental practices, the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) continues to influence the modern world.

Your group has been selected as a Knowledge Council whose mission is to convince the audience that your assigned topic remains relevant in the 21st century.

Your presentation should not be a traditional classroom presentation. Instead, use your creativity to educate, entertain, and engage your audience.

Objectives - By completing this activity, students will:

Ø  Understand the assigned IKS topic.

Ø  Explore its historical significance.

Ø  Connect ancient knowledge with present-day applications.

Ø  Work collaboratively in teams.

Ø  Develop research, presentation, communication, and creative thinking skills.

Ø  Use media and storytelling techniques to explain concepts effectively.

 

Group Roles: Every member must actively participate.

 

Assigned Topics: Each group will be allotted one topic.

Topics include:

1.    Ayurveda

2.    Yoga & Wellness

3.    Arthashastra

4.    Natyashastra

5.    Ancient Indian Education (Gurukul)

6.    Takshashila & Nalanda Universities

7.    Ancient Astronomy

8.    Indian Mathematics

9.    Ancient Banking System

10. Ancient Trade & Commerce

11. Vastu Shastra

12. Water Conservation in Ancient India

13. Folk Theatre

14. Indian Classical Dance

15. Ancient Communication Systems

16. Temple Architecture

17. Environmental Wisdom

18. Metallurgy in Ancient India

19. Ancient Sports

20. Traditional Knowledge Systems

 

Presentation Structure: Your presentation must include all of the following sections.

 Part 1 – Know Your Topic (2 Minutes)

Introduce your assigned topic by covering:

ü  Origin

ü  Historical background

ü  Important personalities or scholars

ü  Key concepts

ü  Interesting facts

ü  Importance during ancient India

 

Part 2 – Creative Presentation (4–5 Minutes)

Present your topic using ONE creative format.

Choose any one:

Option 1: News Bulletin

Example: "Breaking News! Aryabhata discovers the concept of zero!"

 

Option 2: Podcast - Interview an ancient scholar.

Examples:

·       Chanakya

·       Sushruta

·       Aryabhata

·       Bharata Muni

·       Charaka

Option 3: Talk Show - Host invites famous personalities from ancient India.

 

Option 4: Courtroom Drama

Debate: "Is Ancient Knowledge Still Relevant?"

 

Option 5: Shark Tank India - Pitch an ancient invention.

Examples:

·       Ayurveda

·       Yoga

·       Ancient Banking

·       Water Harvesting

 

Option 6: Social Media Influencer - Imagine your topic has:

·       Instagram

·       YouTube

·       Podcast

·       Twitter (X)

Promote your topic creatively.

 

Option 7: Role Play - Create a short dramatic scene.

Option 8: TED Talk: Deliver an inspiring talk explaining why your knowledge system matters today.

 

Part 3 – Ancient Meets Modern (2 Minutes)

Choose one modern issue.

Examples:

·       Climate Change

·       Mental Health

·       Digital Addiction

·       Fake News

·       Leadership Crisis

·       Financial Literacy

·       Environmental Pollution

·       Stress among Students

·       Water Scarcity

·       Consumerism

Explain: How can your assigned IKS topic help solve this issue?

Support your answer with practical examples.

 

Part 4 – Media Creation Challenge (1–2 Minutes)

Create ONE media product related to your topic.

Options include:

·       Advertisement

·       Instagram Reel

·       Magazine Cover

·       Newspaper Front Page

·       Comic Strip

·       Meme

·       Radio Jingle

·       Public Service Announcement

·       Campaign Poster

·       Digital Infographic

·       YouTube Thumbnail

·       Short Promotional Video

·       Social Media Campaign

Display or perform it during your presentation.

 

Research Guidelines

Students are expected to use reliable sources.

 

Creativity Guidelines: You are encouraged to use:

·       Costumes

·       Placards

·       Props

·       Charts

·       Posters

·       Models

·       Handmade material

·       Audio

·       Music

·       Videos (if permitted)

·       QR Codes

·       Canva Presentations

·       Interactive Games

 

Time Limit

Activity	Time
Introduction	2 min
Creative Presentation	5 min
Modern Application	2 min
Media Product	2 min
Audience Activity: QnA / Feedback	1 min

Maximum Time: 12 Minutes

Evaluation Criteria

·       Content Accuracy & Research
·       Understanding of IKS Topic
·       Creativity & Originality
·       Relevance to Modern Society
·       Effective Use of Media & Communication
·       Teamwork & Equal Participation
·       Audience Engagement & Delivery

 

Submission Requirements / Presentation Rules

·       Every group member must speak or actively participate.

·       Stay within the allotted time.

·       Use respectful and inclusive language.

·       Ensure facts are historically accurate.

·       Avoid reading directly from notes or phone.  

·       Focus on explaining concepts through creativity rather than lengthy lectures.

 

Bonus Challenge (+ Marks)

Conclude your presentation with a 30-second "Future Pitch" beginning with the sentence:

"If the world adopted one principle from our Indian Knowledge System today, it would be __________ because __________."

Support your answer with a practical example that demonstrates its relevance in today's world.

 

Final Thought

This activity is designed to help you discover that the Indian Knowledge System is not just a part of history—it is a living source of ideas that continue to inspire solutions in health, governance, communication, education, science, the arts, and sustainable living. Approach the task with curiosity, creativity, and teamwork, and show how ancient wisdom can address modern challenges.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Group discussion is a discussion among individuals in a group on a specific subject. It is a testing device to assess group skills like reasoning ability, leadership ability, inspiring ability, flexibility, creativity, out of the box thinking, listening and articulation skills, social skills, situation handling ability, interpersonal skills, ability to function as a team player, body language and attitude. These skills are required in order to become a successful professional as well as an asset to the institute and will help during placements. Group discussions are a modern screening technique used widely for job selection, elimination as well as placement.

Group discussion topics can be from a wide range of issues; current events, business, sports, politics or any thing in general. The wider your reading interest, the better prepared you will be to face the group discussion.

Here are some tips for effective participation in a GD:

• Understand - Understand the topic before attempting to contribute.
• Speak - Try and get a chance to speak. If you can't get a chance to speak make your chance.
• Initiate - Take the initiative to begin the discussion, if possible.
• Structure - Structure arguments logically - justify your stand.
• Summarize- Summarize the discussion effectively
• Involve- Take active part throughout the GD.
• Assert- Be assertive.
• Articulate- Work continuously towards articulating your ideas into meaningful sentences to make the best impact. Be clear in your speech.
• Emphasize.-Use non-verbal communication to emphasize points.
• Listen- Be an attentive listener.
• Quality, not quantity matters- it's not 'how much' you say, but 'what' you say that's important.

To prepare for a group discussion, keep track of happenings around the world. Make a habit of reading newspapers and magazines, watch interesting documentaries and profiles on television to get a wider perspective on issues. As a team player, your ability to lead and play in team is measured in the GD.

You will have to pursue the following points if you want to be successful in a group discussion. The points are as follows:

• Make sure that you read as much news as possible. Generally the topic is chosen from some of the current happenings. Hence you should be aware of current events. 
• Make sure that you speak loudly and clearly. This is one of the most important things and you could find yourself in difficulty if you do not speak loudly and clearly in a GD.
• You should know that you are not really bounded to think in one way. You are free to think on your own and put forward some new ideas. It is good for you and also for the GD since new ideas will definitely make it interesting.
• You should know what the topic is really about. If you have no clarity then you should wait for some time and let the other speak at first. When the matter is quiet clear  then you should start speaking with new ideas in mind.

IMPORTANT
Knowledge: Knowledge about the subject can never be replaced in a GD. No matter how good you might be communicating, but if your sentences don't reflect that you are knowledge bank then it's probably not going to work out. You are required to talk in a GD but inputs that don't contain any substantial value will not help in any way. One has to keep himself updated by knowing what all is happening around the globe.

Alertness and presence of mind: In a GD you are required to carefully listen to the other person's thoughts and keep an argument, example or a supportive statement, fact, example ready to participate in the discussion. This shows how alert you are, how much importance you give to when someone is putting his or her point forward. This also shows how good listener you are, at time, things turn up to be a mess when you feel that what is being said is not making sense. Don't get irritated. Remember that you need to be calm and composed. Many times after a mess happening in a GD, candidates who are calm are selected.

Out of the box thinking: This reflects that you have a different way of looking at things. You need to be creative and have to put points that might amaze the panel. Remember, while working there are times when we need to find out solutions to the problem in a better way, thinking out of the box helps you finding smart and good solutions at times.

• Group strength is usually 8 to 12 members
• Correctly saying what you want to say- speaking effectively and efficiently is very important
• Be a good listener
• Never use technical language while speaking
• Not knowing is not a problem, do not try to bluff