THE VEDIC MATHS

Even as Delhi University is seriously looking at ways to make its mathematics curriculum interesting, one of the university’s colleges seems to have taken a lead.

Gargi College in South Campus has introduced an add-on course in Vedic Mathematics for the academic year 2007-08 with a view to make maths fun for students. The one-year course will incorporate the ancient and time-tested formula of mathematical knowledge to make the subject interesting.

The concept of Vedic maths, which is widely being used in classrooms across the country, offers a general multiplication method that allows one-line divisions and one-line square roots. This unifying quality, experts feel, makes mathematics easy and encourages innovation.

By introducing the course, Gargi College will be the first college in DU to offer the course. The college is aiming at helping students, especially ones preparing for CAT and banking exams, solve maths quickly.

“As we come across many students who aspire to crack the CAT and Banking Sector Entrances, we believe that such a course will help students speed up their calculations and help them solve equations in a much lesser time than expected,” said Dr Promila Kumar, coordinator for the course.

The simplicity of Vedic Mathematics means that calculations can be carried out mentally (though the methods can also be written down). Pupils of the subject can invent their own methods rather than being limited to the one ‘correct’ method.

The classes for the course will be held once a week for two hours. While course will be open to all students who have enrolled themselves in the college, the admission will be carried out on first-cum-first-serve basis.

“The college is trying to also rope in guest faculty lecturers who are teachers at good institutions that prepare the students for various entrance examinations,” Dr Kumar said.

Gargi’s move highlights a recent trend shaping up in the higher education sector where universities are laying emphasis on holistic methods to impart additional education by way of add-on courses in order to make the curriculum more interactive and innovative.

This is indeed a first for any college in the country and The Vedic Maths Forum India seeks to congratulate the college on its endeavor.