Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a decisive shift in India’s educational philosophy by recognizing physical education as integral to holistic development and by advocating the integration of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into curriculum and pedagogy. Moving beyond a narrow conception of physical education as skill-based training or competitive sport, NEP 2020 envisions the cultivation of physical, mental, ethical, and social well-being rooted in indigenous epistemologies. This paper critically examines how Indian Knowledge Systems—such as Yoga, Ayurveda, traditional martial arts, indigenous games, and embodied philosophies of health—can reimagine physical education in India. Situating the discussion within postcolonial and decolonial frameworks, the study analyzes the promises, challenges, and paradoxes of integrating IKS with contemporary sports and physical education. It argues that meaningful integration requires epistemic plurality, academic rigor, teacher preparedness, and institutional transformation rather than symbolic inclusion. The paper concludes that NEP 2020 offers a historic opportunity to decolonize physical education and reposition the body as a site of knowledge, discipline, and ethical cultivation within Indian education.