Delhi University drops Manusmriti from curriculum after protests
What's the story
Delhi University's Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Thursday said that the ancient Hindu text Manusmriti will not be taught in any course at the university.
The clarification came after the text was controversially included in a new undergraduate Sanskrit course, sparking protests from students and teachers alike.
"We will not teach any part of Manusmriti in any form... The department should not have put it down in the first place following these directions," Singh told The Indian Express.
Course controversy
Text included in 'Dharmashastra Studies' course
The text was included as one of the core texts in a four-credit Discipline-Specific Core (DSC) course titled 'Dharmashastra Studies.'
The four units of the course include topics such as "concept of dharma," Dharmashastra, Vyavahara or polity wherein it explains legal systems in ancient India, and Prayashchitta or penance.
This course was approved by the Sanskrit department under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework as per the National Education Policy.
It also included other texts like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, and Arthashastra.
Past controversies
Proposal to include text in history syllabus was dropped
The decision to include the text was met with strong disapproval from student groups.
Varun Choudhary, the national president of the National Students' Union of India, criticized the move, saying, "Including Manusmriti in DU's syllabus is shameful. It laid the foundation of caste discrimination and injustice against Dalits, women, and the underprivileged."
In July 2023, a proposal to include Manusmriti in the undergraduate History syllabus was dropped after facing similar backlash.