Toward a holistic model of life skills by integrating WHO and NEP 2020 with Bhagavad Gita perspectives

Abstract The prime concern of education is to equip learners with life skills, allowing them to face the world’s challenges resiliently, and facilitating the pursuit of a happy and balanced life. Life skills such as resilience, teamwork, cooperation and communication, as outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of India and the ten core life skills outlined in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO), help in building a meaningful and relevant educational process, and meet twenty-first century requirements as well as challenges. The fruits of teaching the Bhagavad Gita can be universal for all human beings, irrespective of region, race, gender, and faith, if an individual views it as a reservoir of wisdom. It advocates the relevance of fidelity, performing one’s duties with detachment, maintaining inner peace, embracing the present moment, making timely and wise decisions, and discerning between right and wrong to live an opulent and composed life. This paper attempts to align and integrate life skills outlined by WHO and NEP 2020 with timeless teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and also proposes an Integration Model, offering a culturally grounded and contextually relevant approach to learner well-being. The study further extends its relevance to health outcomes, with precise emphasis on reinforcing psychological resilience and mental well-being, thereby presenting a comprehensive path to well-being grounded in both global vision and ancient wisdom.