Learning happens in many different ways. It includes reading, experimenting, writing, talking, watching and in many different ways. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) talks about this idea using an old Indian concept called Pramanas. These are ways through which human beings gain knowledge. The NCF has included these to help teachers and students understand how learning really works in life and in classrooms.
The NCF says people gain knowledge mainly through three broad ways: perception, inference, and testimony. It also explains the six pramanas that many Indian thinkers used to describe how knowledge grows. The goal was also to move from rote memorisation. NCF wanted students to think beyond the theories in their books to making real world connections.
What are the six Pramanas in NCF?
Here are the six pramanas explained in a simple way. These help students and teachers think about how knowledge comes from different kinds of thinking.
1. Pratyaksha (Seeing or sensing)
This means perception. We use our senses to gain information. For example, you know the sky is blue because you see it. Seeing is one of the strongest ways we learn.
2. Anumana (Thinking and inferring)
This means reasoning from clues. Think about this. You go to your friends’ house. Outside the house, before you enter, you smell food being cooked. You did not see the food being cooked or did not know about it, but you got to know because the smell was a clue for you.
3. Upamana (Learning by comparison)
Many times we learn new things by comparing them with information that we already know or have. For example, a person tells you about a Cheetah verbally, tells you about the physical features. You can imagine it because you know about and have seen a tiger. You can imagine how a Cheetah might look like and you will easily be able to identify it when you see its picture as well.
4. Arthapatti (Knowing from situation)
This means learning from circumstances that imply something. To understand, consider that the doctor is at the clinic at 6 p.m. everyday. Today when you visited, the clinic was locked. You also noticed cans of paint in the trash outside the clinic. You come to a logical conclusion that the doctor might not have opened the clinic because it got painted recently. This is Arthapatti.
5. Anupalabdhi (Knowing from absence)
This is when we know something because it is not there. For example, in the class you know desks are there. You notice that absence of furniture. So, you know that this class does not have furniture.
6. Sabda (Learning from testimony)
Many times, teachers, books, elders, and reliable experts tell us things. When we trust those sources, we gain knowledge from their words. This is Sabda. These six pramanas show that learning is not only what you see or read, it is also about how you think, compare, reason, and learn from others.
How does NCF use these ideas?
The NCF brings in pramanas not to make learning philosophical or difficult. It does this to remind teachers and students that knowledge has many roots. We learn from senses, but also from thinking, asking questions, comparing ideas, understanding situations, and listening to reliable teachers.
In classrooms, this can help in many ways:
- Hands-on experience becomes important because it builds direct perception.
- Thinking skills are valued because inference helps students connect ideas.
- Class discussion and shared knowledge help through testimony.
- Comparisons help students learn new concepts by linking them to known ideas.
- Real life problems help students use situations to figure out answers.
- Noticing absence or missing information can be just as important as noticing presence.
Why These Ideas Matter
To make learning more meaningful, NCF has used pramanas. When students understand how they know something, they become confident in exploring beyond books. Instead of just memorising facts, they start to explore, test, reason, and reflect. This helps children in many ways:
- It builds curiosity because students learn to look and ask questions.
- It builds reasoning skills which are useful in every subject.
- It builds trust in reliable knowledge which is key in a world of many information sources.
- It builds awareness of context and situations, so students can learn from real life too.
Simple Classroom Example
We will learn understand this with a simple example of leaf turning yellow due to lack of water.
- Perception – Students see the leaf turning yellow.
- Inference – They think lack of water causes yellowing.
- Comparison – They compare with other plants that have water.
- Situation – Dry soil makes them think water is missing.
- Absence – No water in pot means no nourishment.
- Testimony – Teacher explains the process clearly.
The idea of pramanas in the NCF connects old wisdom with modern learning. It reminds us that learning is not only about reading and repeating. It is also about seeing, thinking, comparing, understanding situations, noticing absence, and learning from reliable people. This makes learning richer, deeper, and more connected to real life.