ISSN (Online): 2455-3662 EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) - Peer Reviewed Journal Volume: 10| Issue: 5| May 2024|| Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra2013 || SJIF Impact Factor 2024: 8.402 || ISI Value: 1.188 2024 EPRA IJMR | http://eprajournals.com/ | Journal DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra2013 --------------------------------------------------------------138 UNDERSTANDING POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY THROUGH THE LENS OF INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM: INSIGHTS FROM SHRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA Animesh Das 1 , Prof. Rakesh Rai 2 1 Research Scholar, Department of Studies and Research in Education, School of Education, Central University of Gujarat, India 2 Professor, Department of Studies and Research in Education, School of Education, Central University of Gujarat, India Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra16776 DOI No: 10.36713/epra16776 ABSTRACT In today s educational landscape, where academic success shapes the future of the learners, the intense competition for excellence often pushes them into the dark realm of anxiety and depression. This struggle results in isolation, identity crisis and gives birth to various health issues such as hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disorders and heightened aggression. Positive Psychology is a branch of psychology that emphasises on the importance of cultivating positive emotions such as joy, gratitude and contentment. It focuses on leveraging personal strengths and mental resilience to help individuals cope with life's challenges more effectively. Bhagavad Gita holds an important place in Indian knowledge system as its timeless wisdom has guided the people over centuries. What positive psychology says today was said long back by Sri Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra to bring Arjuna out of sadness and confusion and prepare him for the war. Through this paper, an humble attempt has been made to explore the ideas of positive psychology from the perspective of Bhagavad Gita. KEYWORDS: Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Positive Psychology, Indian knowledge system, Stress Management, School Education. I. INTRODUCTION The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has introduced transformative changes in education, emphasising dynamic, personalised, technology-enhanced individualistic learning coupled with technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), robotics etc that will explore the curiosity of the child, integrate learning with doing and prepare an environment to facilitate life-long learning. However, amidst the focus on academic excellence and high- tech teaching methods, the physical and mental well-being of learners often goes overlooked. Similar to the caged parrot in Tagore's story ‘Tota-Kahini’, students are confined within the pressures of academic achievement, with little attention given to their holistic development. (Bhatia,1994) The Indian education system emphasises theoretical knowledge over practical learning, leading to a lack of creativity and critical thinking skills. Students face immense pressure from family, school and peers to excel academically, with success measured solely by grades (Rani & Rawat, 2019). This pressure contributes to high levels of academic anxiety and mental health issues among students. The emphasis on exam results exacerbates stress and can lead to severe consequences, including suicide (Poddar, 2020). The pandemic has further intensified these challenges, exacerbating the gap in learning and increasing academic pressure on school students. The National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) Report data shows that every hour one student commits suicide in India, with about 28 suicides reported every day. Its report also shed light over the alarming rate of student’s suicide over the years. 10,159 students died by suicide in the year 2018, a significant increase from 9,905 in 2017, and 9,478 in 2016. According to a 2012 Lancet report, suicide rates in India are highest in the 15-19 years age group, among which 40% youths are male and 60% youths are females (Garai, 2020; Mukhopadhyaya, 2019). The situation has worsened in the recent years due to advent of the pandemic. According to 2019 NCRB Report, a total number of 1, 39,123 suicides were reported in the country during 2019 showing an increase of 3.4% in comparison to 2018. The unexpected and sudden shift from the traditionally practiced classroom-based teaching to digital based education due to the pandemic has created a significant gap in learning resulted in higher levels of academic anxiety among learners (D’Souza, 2021). More than 12,500 students died by suicide in the country when pandemic hit in 2020, which was at the rate of 34 person/ day, with many states reporting more than one death per day (Kumar, 2021). In 2020 alone, India witnessed a historic increase of 21% in suicide cases compared to 2019. Out of 12,526 student suicides in 2020, nearly 53% or 6,598 were from six states- Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Jharkhand and Karnataka, while all other states and union territories together reported 5,928 deaths (Kumar, 2021). When we look at the world scenario, India is the most depressed country in the world, followed by china and USA. A 2014 study reported in WHO, conducted for NCMH ( National Care for