India, Sept. 19 -- After history, mathematics seems to be in the crosshairs of the UGC. Over 900 researchers, mathematicians, and academicians from India and abroad have urged the UGC to reconsider its proposed changes to the undergraduate mathematics curriculum. The higher education regulator wants BA/BSc maths courses to foreground Vedic mathematics, Bharatiya bijaganita (algebra), the Puranas and ideas of ancient Indian astronomy. It wants students to be taught the Narada Purana's citations of geometry, and calculation of muhurtas (auspicious time) for rituals using the panchanga (Hindu almanac). Students must also learn about ancient Indian time units, evolution of Indian algebra, and ancient formulae in other areas of mathematics. India's rich epistemological heritage in mathematics is well documented. There is no harm in taking pride or showcasing these civilisational accomplishments; it may even help understand the interconnectedness of knowledge generation across the globe mediated by the exchange of ideas - lopsided in many instances, though - that have happened throughout history. But it becomes a problem if these, as part of a revivalist impulse, are foregrounded ahead of modern, evidence-based science learning. For instance, in its bid to privilege the past and encourage esoteric topics such as Mathematics in Meditation, the draft curriculum has reduced the importance of core subjects, including real analysis, linear algebra, algebra, statistics, programming and numerical methods. UGC must heed the experts' advice. Keeping in step with the knowledge requirements of the modern world means keeping the cartography of university education and national pride separate. The purpose of university education is to familiarise students with evidence-based learning, its methodologies and frameworks, and prepare students to compete with the best in the world and engage in cutting-edge research in the best institutions around the world. UGC's move will only ambush such a prospect - not upgrade or improve the course and enrich learning. If there is a crisis in mathematics education in India, it is with pedagogy rather than curriculum. While several Indians do exceptionally well in mathematical research and children win accolades, including in Maths Olympiads, numeracy levels among school students - as reported by ASER and PISA inter-country comparisons - remain depressingly low. In many homes, mathematics is a subject of fear and anxiety rather than joy, mostly because of poor teaching methodologies. That's an area the UGC must focus on with the help of serious maths educators, not in chasing chimeras of a golden past....