The Executive Council of the Delhi University’s Faculty of Law is going to consider a proposal for including Manusmriti, an ancient Hindu scripture, as part of the undergraduate law syllabus. It suggests that the Manusmriti be included as a reading in the jurisprudence paper under the unit on “analytical positivism.”Concerns and Opposition The very suggestion to introduce Manusmriti into the syllabus has met sturdy disapproval with regard to academics and organizations working across. SDTF of Delhi University addressed a letter to the Vice-Chancellor against this proposal. They have opined that Manusmriti promotes social divisiveness and inequality and works contrary to the advancement, progress, and education of women and the downtrodden.The SDTF has demanded that the Vice-Chancellor withdraw the proposal and not pass it during the forthcoming academic council meeting. They also point out that including Manusmriti is contrary to the spirit of the Constitution .

Response Academics slam the move, saying that it goes against constitutional principles.Noted academics and faculty members also joined in the chorus of criticism against the proposal. The committee could have taken content from Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s books on social justice instead of Manusmriti, they said. The Manusmriti was regressive; there is no place for it in modern society:.A senior academic, requesting anonymity, says that the National Education Policy was in favour of liberal education and multi-disciplinary research. They deplore the inclusion of Manusmriti as an exercise in foisting the regressive social order and seeking relevance in prescriptions out of sync with times.University’s Response. Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh has informed that the proposed amendment for having readings from Manusmriti in the syllabus of the Faculty of Law stands rejected. While the amendments had been unanimously approved by the Committee of Courses, they were later rejected by the University. Therefore, the Manusmriti will not be taught as part of the law syllabus.In sum, while there was a proposal to incorporate Manusmriti in undergraduate law syllabus in Delhi University, it got rejected by the University. Opposing the bill, academics and various organizations stated that Manusmriti tends to propagate social divisions and inequality. The Vice-Chancellor categorically stated that the amendments were rejected and that Manusmriti would not be taught under the law syllabus.