Proposal to Introduce Manusmriti for LLB Students Not Found Appropriate: Delhi University VC

New Delhi:  Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Friday said the proposal to introduce Manusmriti for the LLB students was rejected as it was not found appropriate and added there are other texts that can be used for teaching the Indian culture.

In an interview with PTI, Singh said that he exercised his emergency powers to scrap the proposal during a pre-screening of the agenda for the Academic Council meeting on Friday.

The vice-chancellor (VC) held back the proposal to introduce Manusmriti for the LLB students on Thursday and clarified that no such text would be taught by the university after a section of teachers objected to it.

The proposed changes in the syllabus of the jurisprudence paper pertained to semesters one and six of LLB.

According to the revisions, two readings on Manusmriti -- 'Manusmriti with the Manubhasya of Medhatithi' by G N Jha and 'Commentary of Manu Smriti - Smritichandrika' by T Kristnasawmi Iyer -- were proposed to be introduced for the students.

A committee headed by Singh decided that the proposal made by the Faculty of Law was not appropriate to be introduced for deliberations and rejected it before it could be tabled before the Academic Council, the highest decision-making body of the DU.

"When this proposal was put forward in front of a committee headed by me, we did not find it appropriate and rejected it. There are many other texts to teach the Indian culture and we should not rely on any one text," Singh told PTI.

The proposal drew flak from a section of teachers who said Manusmriti is "regressive" towards the rights of women and marginalised communities and against a progressive education system.

Several students from the Left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA) staged demonstrations outside the VC's office against the rejected proposal, terming it a step towards "saffronisation" of the university.

"I in my personal capacity as well as the Delhi University administration feel that teaching Manusmriti to students is not required. It was proposed by the Law Faculty but we did not allow it to be introduced in the curriculum," Singh said, adding that India has a long cultural history and students can be taught many other texts.