Abstract

India is a country where storytelling has been a tradition for ages. This oral tradition has been prevalent in both tangible and intangible forms, riveting people’s attention across all ages. Oral, print and modes have all been mediums through which the art form has been transacted. One important aspect of Storytelling traditions in India is, it is multidisciplinary in its character. The NEP 2020 recommends multi-disciplinarity and a holistic education across the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, and sports for a multidisciplinary world in order to ensure the unity and integrity of all knowledge; creativity and critical thinking to encourage logical decision-making and innovation; rootedness and pride in India, and its rich, diverse, ancient and modern culture and knowledge systems and traditions. It also says – “The worth of folk-art forms -School children will remain distanced from social reality if Arts, especially, folk arts, are not inculcated in school education. Arts contribute to shaping children’s thinking. NEP 7.3. Also NEP recommends in 4.29.All curriculum and pedagogy, from the foundational stage onwards, will be redesigned to be strongly rooted in the Indian and local context and ethos in terms of culture, traditions, heritage, customs, language, philosophy, geography, ancient and contemporary knowledge, societal and scientific needs, indigenous and traditional ways of learning etc. – in order to ensure that education is maximally relatable, relevant, interesting, and effective for our students. Art forms like Storytelling can incorporate all the above elements. Hence the process of introducing it through different departments of Art and Teacher Education in the Universities can be an important key to finding solutions in giving quality education.