The changes in the syllabus of the jurisprudence paper pertain to semesters one and six of LLB.
Published Jul 12, 2024 | 10:07 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 12, 2024 | 2:44 PM
Representative image (Creative Commons)
Following reports that a proposal to teach ‘Manusmriti’ to Delhi University’s LLB students is placed for approval, the varsity’s Vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh on Thursday, 12 July, clarified that the suggestions have been rejected and the students will not be taught the manuscript.
“Today a proposal by the Faculty of Law was submitted to the Delhi University. In the proposal, they had suggested changes in the paper titled Jurisprudence. One of the changes was to include readings on Manusmriti. We have rejected both the suggested readings and the amendments proposed by the Faculty. Nothing of this sort will be taught to students,” said Singh in a video message shared by the varsity.
A proposal to teach ‘Manusmriti’ (Laws of Manu) to Delhi University’s LLB students was slated to be discussed in a meeting of its Academic Council on Friday, 13 July, a move which drew criticism from a section of teachers.
The Faculty of Law had sought approval from the highest decision-making body of the Delhi University (DU) to revise the syllabus of its first and third-year students to teach them ‘Manusmriti’.
The 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 GN Jha and Commentary of Manu Smriti – Smritichandrika by T Kristnasawmi Iyer— were proposed to be introduced for the students.
The decision to suggest the revisions was unanimously approved in a 24 June meeting of the faculty’s Course Committee headed by its dean Anju Vali Tikoo, according to the minutes of the meeting.
Objecting to the move, the Left-backed Social Democratic Teachers Front (SDTF) had written to the vice-chancellor stating the manuscript propagates a “regressive” outlook towards the rights of women and the marginalised communities and it is against a “progressive education system”.
In a letter to Singh, SDTF general secretary SS Barwal and chairperson SK Sagar said recommending Manusmriti to the students as a suggested reading “is highly objectionable as this text is adverse to the progress and education of women and marginalised communities in India”.
“In Manusmriti, in several sections, it opposes women’s education and equal rights. Introduction of any section or part of Manusmriti is against the basic structure of our Constitution and principles of the Indian Constitution,” the letter read.
The SDTF demanded that the proposal be immediately withdrawn and it should not be approved in the Academic Council’s meeting scheduled to be held on 12 July.
It further requested the vice-chancellor to issue an order to the law faculty and the concerned staff members to continue teaching the paper jurisprudence based on the existing syllabus.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said a proposal to include Manusmriti in a Delhi University law course was rejected by the Vice Chancellor and that there was no endorsement of any such plan.
Pradhan told reporters that he spoke to the Delhi University Vice Chancellor on Thursday when information was received about the matter.
“Yesterday, some information came to us that ‘Manusmriti’ will be part of law faculty course. I talked to the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor and he assured me that some law faculty members have proposed some changes in the jurisprudence chapter. But when the proposal came to Delhi University administration…today, there is an academic council meeting. There is no endorsement of any such proposal in the proper authentic body of academic council… Yesterday only, Vice Chancellor rejected that proposal,” he said.
The government is committed to upholding the true letter and spirit of the Constitution and there is no question of including any controversial portion of any script, he added.
The Congress on Thursday attacked the Centre over a proposal to teach ‘Manusmriti’ to Delhi University’s LLB students, alleging that this is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “salami tactics” to bring fulfilment to the decades-long attempt by the RSS to “assault” the Constitution.
The Congress’s Scheduled Caste department also called for protests against the proposed move at the state and district levels.
Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh said this is “all part of the salami tactics of the non-biological PM to bring fulfilment to the decades-long attempt by the RSS to assault the Constitution and Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy”.
“In its issue dated November 30, 1949, the RSS mouthpiece Organiser had stated: ‘The worst about the new Constitution of Bharat is that there is nothing Bharatiya about it. The drafters of the constitution have incorporated in it elements of British, American, Canadian, Swiss and sundry other Constitutions. But there is no trace of ancient Bharatiya constitutional laws, institutions, nomenclature and phraseology in it,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
“…In our Constitution, there is no mention of the unique constitutional development in ancient Bharat. Manu’s Laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day, his laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti, excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing,” he quoted the Organiser as saying.
This is all part of the salami tactics of the non-biological PM to bring fulfilment to the decades-long attempt by the RSS to assault the Constitution and Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy. In its issue dated November 30 1949, the RSS mouthpiece Organiser had stated:
“The worst about the…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 11, 2024
Congress SC department chairman Rajesh Lilothia wrote to chairpersons of the party’s state SC departments and asked them to stage protests against the proposed move.
Calling it a “regressive step” of the Central University, he claimed that this was just the beginning of rolling out similar programmes in schools and other state universities in BJP-governed states.
“This action must be met with strong opposition in each state. Hence, I request you to organise protests at the state and district levels at University and College campuses in your respective states on July 12, 2024,” Lilothia said in the letter.
The Faculty of Law has sought approval from the DU’s highest decision-making body to revise the syllabus of its first and third-year students to teach them ‘Manusmriti’.
The changes in the syllabus of the jurisprudence paper pertain 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— are proposed to be introduced for the students.
The decision to suggest the revisions was unanimously approved in a June 24 meeting of the faculty’s Course Committee headed by its dean Anju Vali Tikoo, according to the minutes of the meeting.
Objecting to the move, the Left-backed Social Democratic Teachers Front (SDTF) has written to DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh stating that the manuscript propagates a “regressive” outlook towards the rights of women and the marginalised communities and that it is against a “progressive education system”.
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