Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat participated in the launch and discussion of the book 'Illustrated Abhidhamma: Buddhist Inputs for Artificial Intelligence' at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, on Thursday, 16 July 2026. The event brought together cultural scholars and technology researchers to explore the intersection of Buddhist philosophy and artificial intelligence.

Context

Speaking at the launch, Shekhawat addressed themes centred on the convergence of India's knowledge tradition (Bharatiya Gyan Parampara), Buddhist philosophy (Bauddh Darshan), and artificial intelligence (Kritrim Buddhimatta). He said, in translation: 'Such efforts that connect India's ancient knowledge wealth with modern technology pave the way for new possibilities for the future.'

The venue, IGNCA, is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, established in 1985 to promote multidisciplinary research, preservation, and dissemination of Indian arts and cultural heritage. It has increasingly served as a platform for dialogues that bridge classical Indian thought with contemporary disciplines.

Policy Backdrop

The event sits within a broader policy push to integrate India's ancient philosophical traditions with modern science and technology. NITI Aayog's National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, released in 2018 under the #AIforAll framework, stressed the importance of ethical frameworks and the inclusion of traditional knowledge systems in AI development.

The National Education Policy 2020 further mandated the integration of Indian Knowledge Systems — including Buddhist and other philosophical traditions — into academic curricula and research. Events such as Thursday's book launch reflect the government's consistent positioning of ancient Indian wisdom as a resource for shaping ethical AI design and cognitive science.

Stakeholders and Impact

The book's framing of Abhidhamma — the systematic philosophical analysis within the Pali Buddhist canon — as a resource for AI ethics is part of a pattern visible across several Asian countries that draw on Buddhist ethics to shape AI governance debates. Scholars of cognitive science, AI researchers, and cultural historians stand to engage directly with the volume's arguments.

For India's cultural institutions, the launch signals that IGNCA is positioning itself at the intersection of heritage scholarship and frontier technology discourse, a role that could attract interdisciplinary academic collaborations going forward.

What's Next

Observers will watch for follow-up workshops or academic collaborations led by IGNCA on Buddhist inputs into AI ethics. The themes raised at the event could also surface in parliamentary discussions around proposed amendments to the Digital India Act, particularly in debates over ethical frameworks for AI regulation. Minister Shekhawat's participation underscores the Ministry of Culture's intent to position India's classical philosophical heritage as a living contributor to 21st-century technology policy.