ABSTRACT
A diversity of knowledge traditions continues to be influential in India. There is the colonial legacy of British essentialism. There is the alternative which emerged from the nationalist movement in India – Mahatma Gandhi's idea of Basic Education. The Basic Education policy was adopted by many states in India after 1937 and by the Union government from 1947. But, despite the political endorsement, the Basic Education philosophy has never predominated in the curriculum of independent India, especially the craft training elements. Curriculum debates have focused on three issues. There has been the content and organization of elementary education related especially to the question of Basic Education. There has been the question of the relevance and implications of a 'manpower planning' approach to the content of higher education. There has been also continuing discussion about the place of traditional languages and cultures in the curriculum.
