Reimagining quality education in India: A critical analysis of SDG-4 through Indian knowledge systems (IKS)

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4) represents a global commitment to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all, with a special focus on lifelong learning opportunities. However, embedded within this global commitment is an educational framework primarily developed within Eurocentric paradigms of formal schooling, literacy metrics, and vocational training. This framework often overlooks or marginalizes indigenous educational traditions, particularly Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), which are rooted in holistic, ethical, and experiential modes of learning. This paper critically examines the structural and epistemological limitations of SDG-4, contextualizing it within the historical trajectory of Indian education. Drawing upon India’s ancient, medieval, and modern educational frameworks, along with key philosophical thinkers and empirical data, this analysis demonstrates the urgent need for integrating IKS into global educational discourses. Only by embracing diverse epistemologies can SDG-4 truly fulfill its promise of sustainable, inclusive, and transformative education.