[Answered] India’s rich heritage comprises tangibles like architecture and intangibles like the wealth of knowledge. Highlight the contributions of India in the advent of the modern world. How Dhara initiative aims to highlight these achievements?

One of the oldest civilizations in the world, India was a land of sages as well as a land of scholars and scientists. The influence of ancient Indian history on the modern world is due to the many manifestations of Indian genius and the fact that the language people used was so logical.

Contributions of India in the arrival of modern world:

• Mathematics: The Indian contributions to mathematics include ZERO, Indian Numeral System, Baudhayana-Pythagoras Theorem, Sine Function, Negative Numbers, Solutions to Quadratic Equations, Binomial Coefficients, Virahanka-Fibonacci Sequences, First Exact Formula for Pi etc.
• Space science: The Hindu religion faith that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths, is known today as the theory of the multiverse.
• Medicine: Sushruta was the father of medicine-the first to invent the art of performing surgery with anesthesia. The first school of medicine, Ayurveda, is practiced even today.
• Manufacturing: Wootz steel (the finest steel of the ancient world) swords and daggers were made in India. The Wootz steel with carbon nanotube structures continues to inspire researchers to this day.
• Economics: One of the founding pillars of modern economics is the optimisation of risk and return, which drives the theory of differential interest rate. Kautilya and Sukraniti advocated interest rates that varied with risk.

DHARA, an Ode to Indian Knowledge System’ by Ministry of Culture, comprises a series of lectures by eminent scholars across the world to revisit our history and celebrate the achievements of India and the contribution of great scholars and leaders to its heritage.

• It embodies the idea of “continuous flow” of information and knowledge from one age to another. Thus, it helps in developing a deep understanding of the findings already available to us.
• The findings related to the ancient past often generate polarising responses due to a lack of credible and rigorous evidence. In Dhara systemic efforts are being made to bring in academic scholars of the highest caliber to add rigorous reasoning and scientific credibility to these discussions.
• It aimed at starting conversations and debates and ensuring that our collective history of achievements does not stay forgotten in the folds of some withering manuscripts.

Our history as an independent nation is 75 years old but our civilisation is more than 5,000 years old. The contributions of India are many and Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemorating 75 years of independence is a concentrated and focused effort in this direction.