Is DU planning to teach Manusmriti to law students? What edu minister said

DU Manusmriti row: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan clarified that there was no question of teaching any controversial portion of any script in the syllabus

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday refuted the claims that there was any plan to include the controversial scripture Manusmriti to the syllabus of law school at the University of Delhi.

“Yesterday, some information came to us that Manusmriti will be part of a Law Faculty course (in DU). I enquired and talked to the DU Vice Chancellor,” the minister said. 

He said the VC informed him that the proposal for some changes in the jurisprudence chapter came from some law faculty, clarifying that no such proposal was endorsed by the Academic Council, the highest decision-making body of DU.

‘Centre committed to Constitutional values’

“Yesterday itself, the Vice Chancellor rejected that proposal,” Pradhan said, emphasising that the Centre is committed to upholding the values of the Indian Constitution.

He further noted that there was no question of teaching any controversial portion of any script in the syllabus. The varsity’s VC on Thursday had clarified that the proposal made by the Faculty of Law had been rejected.

Earlier today, the members of the All India Students Association (AISA) staged a protest outside the prominent university against the purported proposal.

What is the Manusmriti controversy surrounding DU?

The controversy erupted after it was found that there is a proposal to teach Manusmriti to law students at the university, which was to be discussed in the meeting of the Academic Council today.

The proposal aimed to update the curriculum for first and third-year LLB students, specifically for courses in semesters one and six. The suggested changes include adding two texts based on Manusmriti to the syllabus: a translation with commentary by G N Jha and a commentary by T Kristnasawmi Iyer. 

The ancient Hindu scripture, also known as the Laws of Manu, has long been the subject of intense criticism from a section of the public, due to its endorsement of the caste system and gender discrimination.

[With inputs from PTI]