Bhartiya Gyan Pratiyogita for Promoting Indigenous Knowledge: Assessing Student Competence in Indian Cultural, Scientific, and Philosophical Heritage in Haryana

The Bhartiya Gyan Pratiyogita (BGP), represents an innovative pedagogical initiative aimed at assessing and promoting students' awareness of India's rich intellectual heritage. This paper examines the BGP 2026 question paper as a content-analytic instrument. It evaluates the competition's effectiveness as a tool for indigenous knowledge promotion using performance data from 52 participants (34 school-level, 18 college/university-level). The question paper spans five thematic domains — philosophy and heritage, polity and history, arts and architecture, trade and economy, and science and technology — covering classical texts and traditions from the Vedic period to the Mughal era. Content analysis of the 50-item paper reveals a rich, multi-domain assessment of Bharatiya knowledge systems, including references to Arthashastra, Charaka Samhita, Aryabhatiya, Natyashastra, and the Harappan civilisation. Performance analysis indicates that participants demonstrate higher proficiency in well-canonised topics (Indian philosophy, famous historical sites) compared to technical scientific heritage (Sulba Sutras, Varahamihira's astronomy). The paper argues that the BGP serves as both a diagnostic tool for measuring cultural literacy and a motivational platform for Bharatiya knowledge revival, with significant implications for curriculum design under the National Education Policy 2020 and the Vikshit Bharat vision.