Govind Krishnan M from Kerala followed an unconventional educational path, leaving conventional schooling after Class 4 to study the Yajurveda at a gurukula in Thrissur. After completing four years of traditional Vedic training, he returned to mainstream education, earned full A+ grades in Class 10, cleared the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and Advanced, and pursued Electronics and Communication Engineering at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST).
In 2025, he was selected to join the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), an important centre of India’s space research programme. His journey brings together two different educational traditions, highlighting how his experience with Vedic learning accompanied his progress through conventional academics and engineering.
From Conventional Schooling to Vedic Studies
Govind’s educational journey took an unusual turn when he was around 10 years old. In 2011, after completing Class 4, he left conventional schooling to pursue Vedic studies at Bhramaswam Madham, a traditional gurukula in Thrissur, Kerala. Rather than following the standard school curriculum, he entered an environment centred on the oral transmission, recitation and memorisation of ancient texts.
Life at the gurukula demanded discipline and consistency. His mornings began at around 5 am, with students engaging in Vedic chanting and lessons. Learning involved repeatedly listening to verses, reciting them and committing them to memory under the guidance of teachers. This method required sustained attention and regular practice, with students relying heavily on oral instruction rather than the textbooks and written examinations associated with conventional schooling.
Govind spent four years undergoing this traditional training. The experience became a distinct phase of his education before he returned to mainstream academics. His journey was not a conventional progression through school grades, but it provided him with an alternative learning experience that would remain part of his life even as he moved towards science and engineering.
Returning to Academics and Pursuing Engineering
After completing his gurukula training, Govind returned to the formal education system. The transition required him to pursue mainstream academic subjects and prepare for examinations that followed a different structure from his earlier Vedic lessons.
He went on to secure full A+ grades in his Class 10 examinations, demonstrating his ability to perform within the conventional school system after spending years away from it. He subsequently cleared both JEE Main and JEE Advanced, the competitive entrance examinations used for admission to engineering and other technical programmes.
Govind enrolled at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, where he studied Electronics and Communication Engineering from 2021. IIST is closely associated with India’s space research ecosystem, making it a significant step in his progression towards a career in the sector.
His academic trajectory connected two markedly different educational settings. His early years focused on traditional texts and oral learning, while his later studies involved technical subjects, scientific principles and engineering. Rather than following a single uninterrupted route through conventional schooling, he moved between these systems before pursuing a specialised engineering education.
A Step Towards India’s Space Programme
In 2025, Govind was selected to join the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. VSSC is a major centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), associated with the development of launch vehicles and related space technology.
The selection marked a significant milestone in his educational journey, bringing him closer to India’s space research programme after years of study across different learning environments. His engineering education at IIST formed the academic foundation for this next step.
Govind’s story stands out because his path to this opportunity included a period of traditional Vedic education that is not usually part of the route followed by engineering aspirants. His journey moved from reciting verses in a gurukula to studying engineering at a specialised institute connected to India’s space sector.
He also continued his Vedic practice alongside his academic journey. Govind has compared the practice to going to the gym, describing its role in supporting mental clarity, concentration and memory. This reflects the place the practice continued to hold in his life even after he returned to formal education.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Govind Krishnan’s journey offers a reminder that educational paths do not always follow a uniform pattern. His experience moved through traditional Vedic learning, conventional schooling, competitive entrance examinations and specialised engineering education before his selection to join VSSC.
His story should not be read as proof that one educational system is superior to another. Vedic training and modern engineering education serve different purposes and involve distinct methods. What makes his journey noteworthy is that he navigated both, returning to mainstream academics after four years of gurukula training and progressing towards a career in India’s space programme.
His experience also invites a broader conversation about the many ways people learn and develop skills. Oral memorisation, sustained practice, formal examinations and technical education represent different approaches to learning. Govind’s journey illustrates how these experiences can form different chapters of an individual’s education.
As he moves towards the next stage of his professional life, his story is an example of an unconventional route to a demanding technical field. It highlights perseverance, adaptation and the possibility of pursuing modern scientific ambitions while continuing to value traditional learning.
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