Reclaiming the Living Tradition: The Pedagogical Principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Their Relevance for Twenty-First Century Indian Education

Abstract

Mahatma Gandhi's educational philosophy crystallised in the Nai Talim (Basic Education) framework first proposed at the Wardha Education Conference of 1937 constitutes one of the most original and philosophically comprehensive educational visions of the twentieth century. Yet despite its acknowledged importance in the history of Indian educational thought, it remains imperfectly understood, inconsistently implemented, and insufficiently integrated into the training of contemporary Indian teachers. This article reconstructs Gandhi's pedagogical principles systematically across eight analytical domains: (1) the philosophy of knowledge and learning; (2) the meaning and aims of education; (3) curriculum theory; (4) pedagogical method; (5) the teacher's role and preparation; (6) discipline and the school environment; (7) mass education and social equity; and (8) the moral and spiritual dimensions of education. Employing a historical-analytical methodology grounded in primary Gandhian texts and the scholarly literature in Hindi and English, the study evaluates these principles for their relevance to the challenges facing Indian education in the twenty-first century: the crisis of relevance, the crisis of equity, and the crisis of values. The article argues that Gandhi's educational ideas constitute a living philosophical resource whose insights concerning the relationship between knowledge and labour, moral formation and intellectual development, community and school, and technology and human agency remain urgently pertinent to contemporary Indian and global educational debates. The article concludes with five specific recommendations for integrating Gandhian pedagogical principles into teacher education programmes, curriculum design, and educational policy in contemporary India.

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