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Dialogues on Knowledge in Society
A PPST Initiative
Issue 5, September 2025
Special issue on the Themes, Topics and Speakers in
“Knowledge Dialogues – a 3-day Convention on Knowledge in Society”
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Kuvempu University, Shivamogga, 20-22 Feb 2025
Knowledge is an inherent attribute of humans, and its production and utilisation has been an essential part of all societies, enabling the sustenance and growth of these societies for thousands of years all over the world. This character of knowledge being a diverse and shared human heritage however got disrupted with the advent of the Modern Science, Technology and Knowledge originating from Europe from around the 19th Century, and in association with imperialism, imposed its hegemony over all other knowledge traditions of the world. With the history of the last two hundred years clearly showing how detrimental this process has been to large parts of the humankind as well as nature, there is considerable interest to re-look at the Knowledge Question from the stand point of the non-western world and their traditions, of which India is a very significant part.
Organised jointly by the Kuvempu University and the Journal of Dialogues on Knowledge in Society, and guided by a sixteen member Organising Committee (https://www.ppstindia.in/organi), the Convention in Shivamogga was a step in this direction, where scholars, academics, thinkers and activists from different parts of the country came together to explore as to what kind of knowledge systems and practices best serve the needs of our people and the nation.An awareness that large scale poverty and want, alongside extensive damage to the environment and nature, still exist in our country, gave this exploration a sense of urgency and relevance, going well beyond merely academic, philosophical or sociological interests.
There were eight themes in the Convention, each mapping into a Session, held over 2-1/2 days, with 64 contributing participants. Each Theme/Session had a Statement that captured the core interests and focus of the Session, and formed the basis for the organisation of the Session.
This issue of the DKS Journal brings together these eight Statements, along with the list of contributors to each Session, and is intended to serve as an overview of the thematic content of the Shivamogga
Convention. A complete and comprehensive picture of the event, including its physical organisation, the pre-Convention Publication as well as extensive video coverage, is available at
Dialogues on Knowledge in Society is a journal intended to serve as a platform for open and inclusive debates on contemporary issues in Development, carried out from a Knowledge standpoint.
The question of Knowledge has increasingly become a component of all debates on Development, directly or indirectly, along with ideas of Equity, Freedom and Sustainability. Modern Science and Technology have already been a topic of contention in such debates for nearly a century now, and this questioning of Modern Science & Technology by the non-Westernised world is presently expanding to cover otherareas of the Knowledge Domain as well, going beyond just Science & Tech.
In the Indian context, what is giving additional strength to this questioning has been the existence of strong Indigenous Traditions of knowledge, covering almost all areas of human endeavour. A similar situation presents itself in many other non-Western societies too. The aim of such a questioning or challenge is not so much to do away with Western knowledge altogether, but rather to claim the rightful place for the Indigenous and the local in the knowledge domain. That the Knowledge space is beginning to get contested is an important and positive development for the entire world. It could help put an end to the destruction and ravages caused in the last few centuries by the domination of the West in almost all the fields, especially so in Sciences and Technologies. The contestation in the Knowledge space could potentially show a way out, and come up with something that is more holistic, humane, inclusive, tolerant, non-hegemonistic and
sustainable. Going beyond the concept of narrow "scientific rationality", this new Knowledge would also include concepts of Justice, Compassion and Duty, besides Equity, Freedom and Sustainability.
The proposed Journal would address these broad concerns in the Knowledge space.