President Pranab Mukherjee has stressed the need for more academic collaboration in Indology between India and other countries. Inaugurating the first ever World Indology Conference at Rashtrapati Bhavan today, Mr Mukherjee said this would give new dimension to bilateral relations between India and other nations.<br/><br/>The President also called for a study of Ayurveda and other ancient Indian healing systems to increase their integration into a holistic treatment of diseases. Highlighting the importance of yoga, he said, global popularisation of yoga would help to improve the lifestyle of people. He also recalled the ancient Indian education system, and said Takshila, Vikramshila and Nalanda Universities dominated world education system and were the magnet for finest minds of the world. Highlighting the importance of Indology, Mr Mukherjee said it does not merely imply the study of India, but pursues major component of human knowledge.<br/><br/>External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also addressed the conference.<br/><br/>The three-day conference is being organised in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. It is a unique platform, which will bring the best scholars from across the world, including India, to discuss the present state of Indology, its relevance and also the challenges faced by them in India and abroad. The conference will witness detailed discussions on topics such as Indological Studies in Historical Perspective, Sanskrit Literature-Past and Present, Sanskrit Drama-Theory and Practice, Indian Philosophical Thought and Indian Art and Architecture.