Shravana Krishna 3 , Vik. Samvat 2083, Yugabda 5128 : 1 August, 2026: SM 8009 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS
: NAGA PANCHAMI: Naga Panchami (August 17) is a day of traditional worship
of nagas (snakes). As part of the festivities, a representation of the serpent
deity or a live snake is given a reverential bath with milk and their blessings
are sought for the welfare of the family.
2. PROGRAM OF SARSANGHCHALAK DR MOHAN BHAGWAT: RSS
Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat delivered the valedictory address themed
‘Yuganukul Matrutva (Contemporary Motherhood)’ at the two-day Dakshin Bharat
Prabodhan Baithak organised by Vishwamangalya Sabha, in Bhagyanagar (Hyderabad)
on July 26. The event was held at Sevalal Banjara Bhavan, where he addressed
women representatives, mothers and delegates from across Southern Bharat.
Describing motherhood as the fundamental basis for creation, nourishment and the
continuation of human existence, Dr Bhagwat said that it remains the foundation
of civilisation. He added that parents should focus on developing their
children’s character from an early age and gradually grant them increased
autonomy as their nature.
3. BOOK RELEASE ON SWAMI LAXMANANANDA: RSS Sarkaryavah
Dattatreya Hosabale addressed a gathering at the Railway Auditorium in
Bhubaneswar during the release of ‘Vedanta Keshari Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati:
Kriti evam Vyaktitva’, a book published by the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati
Smriti Nyas. Speaking on the occasion, he highlighted Bharat’s enduring
tradition of sacrifice, inspiring generations to continue nation-building,
service, and Dharma protection with resilience and dedication. He said that
forces opposing Dharma cannot weaken Bharat by targeting its protectors.
4. PRIDE OF BEING A HINDU REPRESENTS A LIFE BASED ON PEACE,
TRUTH AND JUSTICE : BHAIYYAJI JOSHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Akhil
Bharatiya Karyakarini Sadasya Suresh (Bhaiyyaji) Joshi addressed the concluding
session of the Paschim Maharashtra Prant Sangh Shiksha Varg. The programme was
attended by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Group Director and
senior scientist Dr Himanshu Shekhar.
5. RASHTRA SEVIKA SAMITI’S THREE-DAY MEETING: The
three-day first half-yearly meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarini and
Pratinidhi Mandal of Rashtra Sevika Samiti concluded in Samalkha, Haryana, on
July 26. The meeting reviewed organizational expansion over the past six months
and deliberated on contemporary social challenges. The meeting was attended by
Pramukh Sanchalika Shanta Kumari, Pramukh Karyavahika Sita Gayatri, and 488
representatives from 40 Prants.
6. RSS HAS RESTORED THE LOST GLORY OF BHARAT: CP
RADHAKRISHNAN: Uprashtrapati of Bharat, CP Radhakrishnan, released the book
‘RSS @100: A Century of Service, Unity & Sacrifice’, authored by Shyam Jaju and
Anupam Trivedi, at Uprashtrapati Bhavan on July 17.
Appreciating the authors for capturing the ethos of RSS, Radhakrishnan said
Sangh’s journey has been one of reviving, reinforcing and rebuilding Bharat’s
cultural roots, heritage and traditions.
7. BMS WORKING COMMITTEE MEETING IN RANCHI: The
three-day Akhil Bharatiya Working Committee meeting of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
(BMS) concluded at the Sarala Birla campus in Ranchi, with key resolutions
focusing on labour reforms, social security, and workers’ rights.
8. NATIONAL SEMINAR OF AKHIL BHARATIYA ITIHAS SANKALAN
SAMITI: The Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Samiti successfully concluded
its National Seminar and Akhil Bharatiya Workshop of General Secretaries and
Organizing Secretaries with a grand Valedictory Ceremony. The ceremony was
graced by the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Lt. General Kaiwalya Trivikram
Parnaik (Retd.) as the Chief Guest and Assam cabinet Minister Biswajit Daimary
as the Guest of Honour.
The National Seminar and the Akhil Bharatiya Workshop brought together
office-bearers, scholars, researchers, and representatives from across the
country for meaningful deliberations on organizational development, historical
research, and future initiatives. It served as a platform to exchange ideas,
review ongoing activities, and formulate strategies for expanding the work of
the organization.
The valedictory session marked the successful conclusion of the multi-day event,
reaffirming the commitment of Itihas Sankalan Samiti towards promoting authentic
history, strengthening organizational networks, and inspiring greater
participation in preserving the nation’s civilizational heritage.
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9. VHP’S CENTRAL MANAGING COMMITTEE MEETING: The two-day
meeting of the Kendriya Prabandh Samiti of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) was held
on July 19–20 at Terapanth Bhavan, Delhi. Office-bearers and samiti members from
across the country participated in the meeting. The meeting passed resolutions
on strengthening the family system and seeking disclosure of the Swami
Laxmanananda Saraswati commission report.
10. HSS SNIPPETS: Halton-Hamilton Vibhag of Hindu
Swayamsevak HSS Canada celebrated Khel Divas on June 20 with joy and
teamwork. For the youngest participants to seasoned karyakartas, every moment on
the field was a reflection of seva, discipline, and togetherness.
Mr Kaoru Kawahara, Vice Governor of Aichi Prefecture, presented the India–Japan
Brotherhood Award to HSS Japan in recognition of its contributions to
strengthening cultural ties between Japan and Bharat,
On July 26, HSS Germnay organised Guru Purnima ustsav at Rosenteinpark,
Stuttgart. Swayamsevaks and sevikas of all age groups participated in it.
Representing Hindu Americans, HSS USA officials participated in a
dialogue hosted by the White House Faith Office, joining leaders from diverse
faith communities to discuss religious liberty, community partnerships, and
issues impacting faith-based organizations.
11. SEWA USA ACTIVITIES: On July 19, 12 participants
joined Sewa East Bay for a refreshing morning hike at Castleridge
Trailhead, Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park. The hike brought together
participants of all ages, creating an atmosphere of encouragement, friendship,
and wellness.
12. ASSAM FLOODS – SWAYAMSEVAKS TRYING TO BRING HOPE:
In the flood-hit areas of Betbari, RSS and Sewa Bharati karyakartas carried out
a major rescue operation and safely shifted more than 200 people to relief camps
and secure locations. Relief work is also continuing in the remote areas of
Sundar Pukhuri, Bamun Pukhuri, Geleki and Rajabari in Sivasagar district, where
swayamsevaks are reaching stranded families with cooked food, clean drinking
water, medicines, clothing and other essential supplies.
13. PACIFIC SANSKRIT CONFERENCE IN ADELAIDE: More than
350 delegates from Australia and New Zealand gathered in Adelaide for a five-day
Sanskrit conference aimed at strengthening language education, cultural
understanding and spiritual learning across the region.
A standout feature of the conference was the participation of 292 children who
have been studying Sanskrit and memorising verses through ongoing educational
programs. Their learning has been supported by a network of 64 teachers and
volunteers, highlighting the community effort behind the initiative.
The final session brought together the conference’s central themes and
encouraged participants to continue their Sanskrit studies beyond the event.
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14. SUKRUTHA SANGAMAM 2026: Sukrutha Sangamam 2026 was
successfully held on July 19 at Bhaskareeyam Auditorium bringing together
Sukrutham Palliative Care volunteers from across Kerala.
The inaugural session was presided over by Dr. Renjith Vijayahari, President of
Seva Bharati Keralam. The event was inaugurated by Jacob Thomas, IPS (Retd. DGP).
In his inaugural address, he stated that the Sukrutham Palliative Elderly Care
Project of Seva Bharati serves as a pillar of support for the universal human
aspiration to live a hundred years with health, happiness, dignity, and
independence.
The programme also featured the presentation of Nivedita Seva Puraskar for Model
Nurse, Model Volunteer, and Model Committee, along with the Bhaskarajyothi Seva
Puraskar and the Sukrutham Seva Puraskar.
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15. WORLD HINDU CONGRESS 2026: The World Hindu Congress
(WHC) 2026 will be held in Mumbai, Bharat, on December 18, 19, and 20 at the Jio
World Convention Centre, under the theme Samānaṃ Vrataṃ Saha Cittam — Shared
Commitment: Collective Resolve.
16. SKYROOT’S VIKRAM-1 REACHES ORBIT: Skyroot
Aerospace’s Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 has successfully reached the orbit on July
18, marking the maiden flight of Bharat’s first privately developed
orbital-class rocket. The rocket completed its final burn and injected its
payloads into a nearly 450-km orbit, making Bharat the third country in the
world with private orbital launch capability.
17. BHARATIYA STUDENTS’ STELLAR PERFORMANCE IN CHEMISTRY
AND BIOLOGY OLYMPIADS: Bharat has won one gold and three silver medals at
the 37th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) held in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Bhavyaa Gunwal from Haryana won the gold medal while Soumil Maity from West
Bengal, Nishit Kalani from Rajasthan and Anmol Kumar from Punjab won silver
medals. The Olympiad commenced on July 12. The Department of Atomic Energy said
that there were 307 students from 78 countries in this year’s IBO.
18. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Treating alike victory and
defeat, gain and loss, pleasure and pain, get ready for battle; fighting thus
you will not incur sin. – Bhagwad Gita 2.28
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JAI SHRI
RAM
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY IN ANCIENT INDIA AND ITS RELEVANCE TODAY
SAROJ SHARMA
The scientific and technological past of ancient India is not just a chapter of
history, but a guide for the present and future. It showcases a wide spectrum of
human genius — from mathematical abstraction to precise surgery and excellent
metallurgy. Indian education systems now need to include this heritage in the
core curriculum
Long before “engineering” became a formal discipline, India was practising it.
Between roughly 3300 and 1300 BCE, the Indus Valley Civilization built
meticulously planned cities, covered drainage systems, and refined metalwork.
The Vedic period added agriculture, further metallurgy, and systematic
sky-watching — the base for a scholarly line running from the Rigveda to
Aryabhata, Sushruta, Charaka, Varahamihira, and Bhaskaracharya.
Centres of learning such as Nalanda, Vikramshila, and Takshashila brought
philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, and medicine together under one roof.
Aryabhata’s Aryabhatiya (c. 499 CE) worked out trigonometric formulas, argued
that the Earth itself moves, and calculated its circumference at 39,968
kilometres. Bhaskaracharya’s Lilavati laid early groundwork for algebra, and
Brahmagupta set out the rules for negative numbers. The Sushruta Samhita is the
earliest known text on detailed surgery, including plastic and cataract
techniques, while the Charaka Samhita reads like an encyclopaedia of internal
medicine. Nagarjuna’s Rasashastra covered medicinal preparation, the Surya
Siddhanta calculated eclipses and planetary motion, and Varahamihira’s
Panchasiddhantika merged five astronomical traditions into one. The rust-free
Iron Pillar of Delhi (c. 400 CE) still puzzles metallurgists, and Vastu Shastra
drew its architectural principles from the sun’s movement, wind, and a balance
of five elements. We live amid artificial intelligence, generative tools,
private spaceflight, AR/VR, 5G, drones, humanoid robots, and 3D printing —
alongside deepening environmental crises, rising mental health difficulties, and
ethics that haven’t kept pace with the technology. That gap is worth naming —
and worth asking what earlier Indian thought, built around balance rather than
pure output, might still offer.
Ayurveda, India’s traditional medical system, treats mind and body as one
connected whole. Its purpose is captured in a well-known line: “Swasthasya
swasthya rakshanam, aturasya vikar prashamanam cha” — protect the health of the
well, and cure the disease of the sick. That aim hasn’t aged. Ayurvedic learning
follows daily and seasonal rhythm. Dinacharya prescribes waking before dawn,
exercise, bathing, and reflection. Rtucharya divides the year into six seasons —
Shishir, Vasant, Grishma, Varsha, Sharad, and Hemant — each calling for dosha
adjustments; summer’s rising Pitta and Vata, for instance, call for cooling
foods and plenty of water. Diet follows six tastes — sweet, sour, salty,
pungent, bitter, and astringent — eaten according to one’s digestive strength,
since, per the Charaka Samhita, weak digestion is the root of nearly every
illness (“Roga sarve mandagnau”). Mentally, Ayurveda describes temperament
through three gunas — Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas.
The stakes are real: diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and heart disease are now
widespread enough to strain health systems worldwide — only one country has more
adults with diabetes than India. Ayurveda’s answer — dosha balance through
Dinacharya, Rtucharya, and the Trayopastambha, or three pillars of health —
speaks directly to this. Recognition extends well beyond India: the WHO
estimates 80–90 percent of people worldwide use traditional medicine and now
treats such systems as essential healthcare, reflected in its choice to host the
WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India. AIIMS Rishikesh has run a
Tridosha-based AYUSH department alongside conventional treatment since 2017, the
same year the All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi became fully
operational; the National Institute of Ayurveda continues expanding research and
training.
Children today carry real strain from exam pressure and constant social media
exposure. Patanjali answered this centuries ago: his second yoga sutra,
“Yogashchitta vritti nirodhah,” defines yoga as the stilling of the mind’s
fluctuations — peace through mastering restlessness, not eliminating its causes.
The National Education Policy 2020 makes a related point, insisting
self-understanding deserves as much attention as academic content.
India’s older texts — the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Ayurveda — treat
mental health as one part of a wider picture spanning body and spirit. The
Atharvaveda’s descriptions of mantras and healing sound anticipate what’s now
marketed as sound therapy and mindfulness. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras set out an
eight-limbed path — Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana,
and Samadhi — for developing body, mind, and spirit together. Practised
regularly, it builds flexibility, strength, and immunity, supports digestion and
breathing, eases stress and anxiety, sharpens concentration and memory, and
nurtures self-knowledge, a steadier outlook, and empathy.
Global recognition is hard to overstate: when the UN marked the first
International Yoga Day on June 21, 2015, 177 countries backed it. India has
since made yoga compulsory in schools, and institutions as prominent as Harvard
and Stanford now research its effects.
A similar pattern holds for the environment. Despite real scientific progress,
climate change and lifestyle disease keep worsening, partly because students
rarely learn to treat environmental care as central rather than optional. Older
Indian thought treated nature as alive and conscious. The Atharvaveda’s line
“Mata Bhumih Putroham Prithivyah” — the Earth is our mother, we are her children
— framed protecting the planet as a spiritual duty. Forests were designated
Aranyak or Tapovan and protected; trees like the peepal and neem were revered as
Devavriksha; water systems relied on rainwater harvesting, now being revived out
of necessity; and the Panchatantra and Hitopadesha taught compassion toward
animals through childhood fables.
Agriculture followed the same logic — mixed cropping and organic manure — long
before synthetic fertilisers and pesticides brought side effects now well
documented, alongside worsening air, water, and land pollution. Bringing Vedic,
Puranic, and folk ecological traditions back into education could address this
at the root. India’s space programme shows the heritage still has momentum:
Mangalyaan (2014) and the Chandrayaan missions, through Chandrayaan-3 (2023),
extend rather than break from a much older tradition of Indian mathematics and
astronomy. Teaching traditional models — the classical twelve zodiac signs, say
— alongside Kepler’s laws could sharpen students’ mathematical-astronomical
thinking. The National Education Policy 2020 calls for weaving India’s Vedic and
classical scientific heritage into STEM education, restoring continuity while
encouraging both indigenous pride and global engagement. Vastu Shastra is a
disciplined study of how buildings relate to their surroundings — oriented
around the sun’s path, wind, the Earth’s magnetic field, and a balance of five
elements to secure natural light, airflow, and energy efficiency, much of it
mapping onto what’s now called green building design: passive cooling, natural
lighting, rainwater harvesting, and solar power.
The overlap goes beyond concept. LEED-certified buildings following Vastu’s
preferred northeast-facing layout — the Ishan corner — have cut energy use by up
to 30 percent in some studies. Researchers at IIT Kharagpur found that Vastu-style
courtyards, built around natural daylight and cross-ventilation, use roughly 40
percent less energy than typical passive-cooling designs, while local materials
also cut the carbon footprint. The National Education Policy 2020 supports
bringing Vastu into architecture curricula; pairing temple and haveli case
studies with green-certification training and solar-analysis software could help
students apply this heritage to climate-resilient design.
Ancient India’s scientific and technical achievements — spanning mathematical
abstraction, surgical precision, and metallurgical skill still not fully
explained — deserve a real place in the core curriculum, not as nostalgia but as
proof that science has always been a shared human project Indian scholars helped
shape.
The aim is not blind imitation of the past or glorification of unscientific
claims, but to provide education rooted in cultural foundations with a global
perspective. This will help children understand that science is a universal
human endeavor in which their ancestors also made significant contributions. It
will encourage them to adopt a multidisciplinary, comprehensive, and sustainable
approach.
The National Education Policy 2020 calls for weaving India’s Vedic and classical
scientific heritage into STEM education, restoring continuity while encouraging
both indigenous pride and global engagement.
The author is a renowned educationist and currently the Vice-Chancellor of
Ranchi University; Views presented are personal.
https://dailypioneer.com/news/science--amp--technology-in-ancient-india-and-its-relevance-today
(July 20, 2026)
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