From the Cover page to the Body Text: Embedding Gandhi in Economics, Governance and Management Education

Abstract

Given the prevalent political, social and economic predicaments and disruptions in the world, Gandhi represents an idea that is much more relevant today than ever. The paper argues that merely placing Gandhian talisman on the cover of the textbooks published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) would not suffice. It argues that like the theme of a story, Gandhian philosophy and practices must reverberate throughout the scholastic journey of our learners. The paper presents some pathways for embedding Gandhi in Economics, Governance and Management Education, that is, EGM education. The paper draws on methodological holism emphasizing the centrality of Gandhian thought in EGM Subject Content Knowledge (SCK) and Methodological Content Knowledge (MCK). It emphasizes experiential and experimental methods such that Gandhi is not reduced to a portrait on the back of a person’s chair. Instead, Gandhi engages her or him like a mirror in front that enables a personal makeover into a Vaishnav Jan through a transformative process that trains hands, awakens intellect and softens hearts.