About

Impact in Education & Society

1 lakh+

Families

have attended the 7 day introductory sessions and have benefitted from greater clarity in their living.

5000+

People

are currently in deep study of the Darshan/ Philosophy

100+

Families

are trying to practice this across India.

Lakhs

Students

across 33 Universities in 6 states, plus Bhutan, take the Human Values course based on Jeevan Vidya.

Numerous

PHDs

underway in 2 Universities. Serious efforts at Atmiya University, Rajkot.

Schools

are running inspired by this teaching

Rationale

Our considered view is that all human problems are due to incorrect & incomplete individual & collective human understanding.
Hence, the long term, comprehensive solution to all human problems is the completion in human understanding, via 'Education for Consciousness Development' in all humankind, leading to awakening (jagriti). This needs the Humanisation of Education.

Understand our Rationale for long-term Social Change →

In Education / Academics

Alternative Schools

Started a new alternative school, Abhibhavak Vidyalaya, in Raipur based on this understanding.
Prerana Vidyalaya, Bemetara, CG.
Global Guardians School, Visnagar, Gujarat.

Interventions in the current Education System:

Chhattisgarh Government Schools

Included as a supplementary course in Govt schools in Chattisgarh state in 2010, run through SCERT Raipur's dedicated Consciousness Development and Value Education Cell. The curriculum covers classes 1-8 across five structured parts, with documented teacher training workshops from 2008 through 2010.

Happiness Curriculum, Delhi

Basis for the 'Happiness Curriculum' in Delhi Govt schools, launched in 2018 and now reaching approximately 8 lakh students across Nursery-Grade 8 through around 21,000 trained 'happiness teachers.'

CTTL-DIET Programme, SCERT Delhi

Content based on this inculcated in the CTTL - DIET program by SCERT, Govt of Delhi. SCERT Delhi's own Jeevan Vidya page states the curriculum is explicitly based on co-existential philosophy (Madhyasth Darshan) by philosopher A. Nagraj. SCERT also runs recurring 'Jeevan Vidya Shivirs' for teacher training, including a 5-day shivir for nearly 4,000 Delhi govt teachers at Thyagaraja Stadium in January 2023, and an 8-day residential shivir for identified teachers in April-May 2023.

Maharashtra Government Schools

An NCERT national study (Impact of In-service Teacher Training on Classroom Transaction, 2012) documents that Maharashtra's state-wide teacher-training package, developed by Jeevan Vidya, Amarkantak, Chhattisgarh in 2008, covered an introduction to Jeevan Vidya, the Structure of Life, and a Questions and Answers module. The study assessed the training's impact on teachers before and after in terms of change in their thoughts on quality of life, and reported changes in awareness about Jeevan Vidya.

In Higher Education

Value Education for Consciousness Transformation in Higher Education

AICTE Model Curriculum

Human Values Course based on ‘Jeevan Vidya’ is now part of the model curriculum by AICTE, Delhi. As of a December 2015 report on its implementation, it had reached over 4,000 colleges across 33 universities in 6 states, plus Bhutan, where it is a required course on several Royal University of Bhutan campuses. See the official Minor Degree in UHV curriculum document.

AICTE: Universal Human Values for Holistic, Value-Based Education (NEP 2020)

AICTE's official policy document for realising NEP 2020 through UHV lists Jeevan Vidya: Ek Parichaya by A. Nagraj (Jeevan Vidya Prakashan, Amarkantak, 1999) as required reference reading, and names prominent figures who studied the approach directly, including then-President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, ex-Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachaliah, and Her Majesty the Queen Mother of Bhutan. Sh. Samdong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in exile, who attended a complete Jeevan Vidya workshop, is quoted: “I can see that this knowledge [universal human values based on Jeevan Vidya] has a potential universal solution.” See the official AICTE document.

AICTE Elective: Human Values in Madhyasth Darshan

This is also the title of the actual textbook used for the AICTE UHV-V elective under the Minor Degree in Universal Human Values model curriculum, published by UHV Publications without royalty, at low cost, as a stated mission rather than a commercial work.

NIT, Raipur

A compulsory course, 'Value Education for Consciousness Development,' is taught here by Dr. Heena Chawda, whose faculty profile explicitly lists 'Jeevan Vidya Shivir (Madhyasth Darshan)' as an area of expertise; the department's library maintains dedicated resources citing A. Nagraj, R.R. Gaur, R. Sangal, and G.P. Bagaria.

IIIT, Hyderabad

Being taught since 2005 through the Centre for Holistic Development of Human Consciousness (CHDHC), whose Jeevan Vidya workshops, including a dedicated session for IIITH staff, have reached over 35,000 participants across 492 sessions to date.

NRCVEE, IIT Delhi

Assessment done by the National Resource Center for Value Education in Engineering (NRCVEE), IIT Delhi. The National Convention on Value Education through Jeevan Vidya was held at IIT Delhi, 22-24 May 2007, inaugurated by Shri APJ Abdul Kalam, then President of India.

Atmiya University, Rajkot

Atmiya University's Chetna Vikas Mulya Shiksha (CVMS) Cell, established in 2018, integrates holistic value-based education into the academic and personal lives of students, faculty, and staff, with the mission of fostering consciousness development. The cell works explicitly in alignment with the principles of Madhyastha Darshan (Co-Existential Philosophy), propounded by the late Shri A. Nagraj, Amarkantak, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all beings and harmony with oneself, others, and nature.

In Research

Numerous Papers & PhDs referencing Madhyasth Darshan and Shri Nagraj have been published in National & International Journals, including:
Madhaysth Darshan Based Value Education — Heena Chawda, National Institute of Technology Raipur
Value Education for Consciousness Development based on Madhyasth Darshan (Dec 2023)
Evolution of Cells to Human Body and Consciousness Development in the Light of Madhyasth Darshan — Dr. Surendra Pathak, L.J. University (2025)
Creating a Unified Society: The Roles of Madhyasth Darshan and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in Harmonious Living — Dr. Surendra Pathak (2024)
IIT Kanpur — Changes Through Jivan Vidya Based on Madhyastha Darshan (impact assessment)
IIT Kanpur — ICHVHE-2017 International Conference on Human Values
International Journal of Advanced Research — L.J. University study (2025)
A Report on Implementation of A Foundation Course in Human Values & Professional Ethics — Prof. R. R. Gaur, Prof. Rajeev Sangal & Sh. Ganesh Bagaria (through Dec 2015)
Jeevan Vidya - How It Has Impacted Me — Pawan K Gupta, SIDH, Mussoorie

Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam's thoughts on Jeevan Vidya

Extract from the Address at the Inauguration of the National Convention on Human Values in Education Through Jeevan Vidya, IIT, New Delhi — 22 May 2007. Full text via the official President of India archive.

Evolution of Enlightened Citizens

"An Honest man is the Noblest Work of God"

I am delighted to participate in the National Convention on Human Values in Education through Jeevan Vidya organized by IIT Kanpur and IIIT, Hyderabad. It is inspiring to find that Professors from institutions like IIT Kanpur, IIIT Hyderabad and NIT Raipur are laying emphasis on integrating value based education as part of the total education system. Spreading of this movement in all the institutions in the country will certainly facilitate creation of an enlightened society. My greetings to faculty members, practitioners of Jeevan Vidya, organizers, students and other distinguished guests. During the last few years, many citizens from India and abroad have expressed the need of intensifying the promotion of value systems as a part of education. I have come across many good minds working on our youth through a value based education system. Jeevan Vidya is a unique effort in this direction. I am glad that you are taking up education with value system as the major subject of discussion in your convention today. When I am with you I have chosen the topic "Evolution of Enlightened Citizens" for discussion.

Jeevan Vidya experience: Jeevan Vidya pioneered by Sri. Nagaraj-ji and propagated by Prof Ganesh Bagaria, IIT, Kanpur, Prof Rajeev Sangal, Director IIIT (Hyderabad) and their teams. This scheme is concerned about addressing the basic causes of major problems of violence, corruption, exploitation, domination, terrorism and war. It has been found that violent and anti-social behaviour, unless dealt with intensive care and with professionalism, could aggravate the extreme behaviour. I understand Jeevan Vidya is a "teachable human value based skill" that can address inherent conflicts within the mind of the individual, within families, in organizations and in public life. Inner conflict is the very essence of violence.

Jeevan Vidya develops tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty in human conduct by enabling self-knowledge that understands harmony in the self and in the entire existence. The experts could bring about marked change even among the inmates of jails through the use of these techniques.

It has been found by imparting Jeevan Vidya skills it would be possible to reduce the overall period of secondary education from 25,000 hours of teaching to less than 20,000 hours, since the children become more responsible and productivity conscious. These experiments can be outreached to influence many people by developing networks using ICT through our educational system that needs to pay increasing attention to this aspect of human development.

This process of imparting self-knowledge would promote a learning atmosphere, where this whole movement of inquiry into knowledge, into oneself, into the possibility of something beyond knowledge would bring about naturally a psychological revolution. From this comes inevitably a totally different order in human relationship and therefore society as a whole. The intelligent understanding of this process itself can bring about a profound change in the consciousness of mankind.

Conclusion: Righteousness is the Beginning

What we need is a conduct of eternal goodness and wholesomeness in human conduct, which is "Righteousness". As said in a divine hymn:

Where there is righteousness in the heart
There is beauty in the character.
When there is beauty in the character,
There is harmony in the home.
When there is harmony in the home,
There is an order in the nation.
When there is order in the nation,
There is peace in the world.

When we need peace in the world, we need order in the nation; we need harmony in the home. Wherever we may be in the planet Earth, the origin is righteousness in the heart. How do we evolve righteousness, in the hearts of every citizen of the world? Jeevan Vidya programme is one of the unique experiences which can lead to righteousness in every heart leading to the evolution of enlightened society.

With these words, I inaugurate the National Convention on Human Values in Education through Jeevan Vidya and my best wishes to all the participants in their mission of evolving an educational system which will help in the evolution of an enlightened society.

May God bless you.
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Watch what renowned missile scientist and Ex President of India (late) APJ Abdul Kalam had to say about Jeevan Vidya in his address to the Nation on the eve of Independence Day, 2006.

See this video of his address at the National Convention on Value Education through Jeevan Vidya at IIT Delhi in 2007.

Our Thinking for Educational & Societal Change

Courses & Experiments

Frequently Asked Questions

Madhyasth Darshan, through its Jeevan Vidya education program, has been adopted across government school systems, higher education, and teacher training in India. It forms the basis of Delhi's "Happiness Curriculum" (reaching approximately 8 lakh students), is included in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra state school curricula, and is taught as part of the official AICTE model curriculum in over 4,000 colleges across 33 universities in 6 states, plus Bhutan.

Chhattisgarh government schools (since 2010, via SCERT Raipur), Delhi government schools (Happiness Curriculum and CTTL-DIET teacher training), and Maharashtra government schools (per an NCERT national study) have all incorporated Jeevan Vidya-based content into their curricula.

NIT Raipur offers a compulsory course, IIIT Hyderabad has taught Jeevan Vidya since 2005 through the CHDHC (35,000+ participants across 492 sessions), Atmiya University runs a dedicated Chetna Vikas Mulya Shiksha (CVMS) Cell aligned with Madhyasth Darshan, and AICTE's UHV-V elective uses "Human Values in Madhyasth Darshan" as its official textbook.

As President of India, Dr. Kalam inaugurated the National Convention on Human Values in Education Through Jeevan Vidya at IIT Delhi in May 2007. In his address, he said Jeevan Vidya, pioneered by Sri. A. Nagaraj-ji, "is concerned about addressing the basic causes of major problems of violence, corruption, exploitation, domination, terrorism and war," describing it as a teachable, human-value-based skill capable of resolving inner conflict at the root of these problems.

Yes. It is part of AICTE's model curriculum for the Universal Human Values elective and is explicitly named as the philosophical basis for Delhi SCERT's Jeevan Vidya page and teacher-training shivirs, which have trained thousands of government school teachers.

Yes. NCERT's 2012 national study, Impact of In-service Teacher Training on Classroom Transaction, assessed Maharashtra's Jeevan Vidya-based teacher training package and found measurable change in teachers' awareness and thoughts on quality of life. The National Resource Center for Value Education in Engineering (NRCVEE), IIT Delhi, has separately assessed its use in engineering education.

Go to top of the page