Students from over 900 colleges will now learn how to derive the square root of a number... the way Aryabhata did. They may also read up on how “Arthashastra is used by RAW and the CIA”, “mercury is seen as the masculine principle, and sulphur is viewed as the feminine principle” in alchemy, or how Acharya Sushruta pioneered plastic surgery and rhinoplasty over 2000 years ago.

These are the topics touched upon by the first-ever Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) textbook published by Mumbai University. With 22 basic chapters, this compulsory subject is to be taught to students of all affiliated colleges.