Long before modern universities, India’s Gurukul system fostered field-based, interdisciplinary, and values-driven education rooted in civilisational ethos. Today, Applied India Studies revives and reimagines this indigenous pedagogy for a new era—bridging tradition with contemporary relevance.

After becoming a Union Territory on August 5, 2019, Ladakh has embarked on a journey of mindful development and cultural renewal. From improved infrastructure to the revival of indigenous traditions, this article explores how Ladakh is shaping its own future—on its own terms.

The Hind Fund is a private philanthropic initiative committed to advancing India-centred knowledge, leadership, and cultural understanding. As the funding arm of the Hind Culture Lab, it powers fellowships, research, and field-based learning rooted in India’s civilisational wisdom. By supporting immersive education, regional inquiry, and global partnerships, The Hind Fund is building the foundation for a new generation of India-focused scholars, institutions, and ideas.

Area Studies, by definition, demands a direct and sustained engagement with the cultural, political, and institutional realities of specific geographies. While theoretical frameworks remain essential, the integrity of Area Studies as a discipline depends on one core principle: the necessity of place-based learning. Field-based training is not merely complementary to Area Studies—it is constitutive of its method.

Beyond the palaces and deserts that dominate Rajasthan’s public imagination lies a deeper, often overlooked landscape—one shaped by its tribal communities. The Bhils, Minas, Garasias, Sahariyas, and others constitute a complex and enduring presence across the region’s hills and forests. To understand Rajasthan holistically requires an engagement with the lives, knowledge systems, and historical continuities of these communities—not as peripheral subjects, but as cultural foundations in their own right.

On 1 August 1920, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement, urging Indians to withdraw from colonial institutions as an act of peaceful resistance. It marked a decisive shift in India’s freedom struggle—from elite constitutional politics to mass civil disobedience. A century later, the movement remains one of the most significant moments of political awakening in the Indian public imagination.

Munshi Premchand’s pioneering realism laid the foundation for socially conscious literature in India. Writing in Hindi and Urdu, he redefined fiction as a moral and political force in the modern Indian imagination.

On 30 July 1947, weeks before India's independence, the princely state of Travancore reversed its secessionist stance and agreed to accede to the Indian Union. This pivotal decision, often overshadowed by larger headlines, laid the foundation for the political integration of modern India.

Despite India's civilizational depth, democratic complexity, and growing global relevance, the world lacks a flagship academic institution dedicated to India Studies. As nations invest in region-focused centres like the Yenching Academy or the College of Europe, India remains intellectually underrepresented on the global stage. The Hind School offers a new institutional paradigm—immersive, interdisciplinary, and rooted in India itself—inviting the world to learn with India, not merely about it.

On Flag Day, the Indian Tricolour is displayed with pride across institutions and public spaces. But beyond patriotic sentiment, the flag is a carefully constructed symbol of political philosophy, civilisational identity, and constitutional intent. Understanding its design architecture reveals the values it was built to represent.

The Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India, is home to a culturally rich and geographically diverse population. Shaped by centuries of interaction with nature, trade, and religious traditions, Kumaoni society reflects a unique Himalayan identity—adaptable yet deeply rooted.

Nagaland, nestled in India's northeastern frontier, is home to over 16 major tribes whose cultural dynamism, oral traditions, and festivals form a rich mosaic of indigenous identity. In a world of eroding roots, the Naga tribes offer a powerful lesson in community, memory, and resilience.

Odisha is home to one of the largest and most diverse tribal populations in India, with over 60 distinct communities. These groups maintain unique languages, social institutions, and cultural practices. As Odisha develops rapidly, the future of its tribal societies will depend on inclusive governance, cultural preservation, and locally informed development.

As India moves toward its centenary of independence in 2047, a new institution is emerging—not to study India from afar, but to learn from within. The Hind School is where culture, policy, and civilisational thought meet practice.

Gujarat’s dance traditions—from Garba circles to tribal rituals—are not just performances. They are archives of memory, gender, identity, and collective emotion.

In India’s high-altitude frontier, tribal communities are not just surviving—they are redefining resilience, autonomy, and the meaning of borderland belonging.

The world’s most populous nation is often read through the lens of its megacities. But the true arc of India’s 21st-century story will be drawn in its 600,000 villages.

India’s most powerful export today is not software or satellites—but the diversity of its civilisational culture. And it begins with looking inward.