Delhi University (DU) vice chancellor Yogesh Singh on Thursday reiterated that the Manusmriti will not be taught in any course within the university and the text, which had been mentioned as a suggested reading material in a discipline specific core (DSC) of the Sanskrit department, has been removed.
“Our stand remains the same. Manusmriti will not be taught in any course in DU. The university had made that clear in the past as well. The text has been removed from the Sanskrit department’s ‘Dharamshastra Studies’. In the future also, whenever it comes to our notice that the text has been suggested for studying, the administration will remove it,” VC Singh told HT.
The university also took to their official social media handle on X and posted, “University of Delhi will not teach Manusmriti text in any course of the University. ‘Dharamshastra Studies’, the DSC of the Sanskrit Department, where Manusmriti is mentioned as a ‘recommended reading’ stands deleted.”
The Manusmriti had been listed in a four-credit Sanskrit course titled “Dharmashastra Studies” introduced under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The course also included the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas, and the Arthashastra.
In March this year, Singh had clarified that no study material or course in the university will include Manusmriti as a reading material. This clarification had come weeks after the DU history department’s joint committee of courses in a meeting on February 19 approved the inclusion of the texts in the undergraduate History (hons) syllabus.
{{/usCountry}}In March this year, Singh had clarified that no study material or course in the university will include Manusmriti as a reading material. This clarification had come weeks after the DU history department’s joint committee of courses in a meeting on February 19 approved the inclusion of the texts in the undergraduate History (hons) syllabus.
{{/usCountry}}Last year, the text had been at the centre of controversies when a proposal was floated by the Faculty of Law to introduce Manusmriti to law students, which was withdrawn following protests by teachers.