Indian university rejects teaching ¡®unconstitutional¡¯ Hindu text

A spat over 바카라사이트 use of a Sanskrit text in?classes at?바카라사이트 University of Delhi has highlighted concerns over incorporating Indian culture and history into curricula.

A teachers¡¯ union at 바카라사이트 university objected to plans by 바카라사이트 law department to introduce 바카라사이트 Manusmriti, a controversial ancient Hindu text, into its?undergraduate programme.?

The text has been criticised for its treatment of women as inferior and its justification of 바카라사이트 Hindu caste system.?

In a letter to vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh, 바카라사이트 union says 바카라사이트 introduction of ¡°any section or part of Manusmriti is against 바카라사이트 basic structure of our constitution and principles of [바카라사이트] Indian constitution¡±.?

According to Indian press, 바카라사이트 university has since decided against using 바카라사이트 text in lessons, but 바카라사이트 incident has shone a light on concerns about 바카라사이트 drive to embed Indian knowledge and culture into curricula, as outlined in 바카라사이트 2020 National Education Policy.?

Speaking before 바카라사이트 decision was made, Anju Vali Tikoo, dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Law at Delhi University, told reporters that 바카라사이트 text was being introduced in line with 바카라사이트 NEP¡¯s call to ¡°introduce Indian perspectives into learning¡±.?

Prime minister Narendra Modi, who was re-elected for a third term in June, is known for his right-wing ¡°Hindutva¡± policies and critics of 바카라사이트 government argue that 바카라사이트 NEP¡¯s focus on Indian knowledge is?an attempt to reinforce Hindu nationalism.?

K.?K. Kailash, a political science professor at 바카라사이트 University of Hyderabad, agreed with 바카라사이트 union¡¯s concerns, describing 바카라사이트 Manusmriti as ¡°regressive and anti-democratic¡±.?

¡°The principles of 바카라사이트 Manusmriti cannot be used today and are anti바카라사이트tical to a liberal democratic order,¡± he said. ¡°Traditional values, which are contradictory to democratic norms and practices, have no place today. Education should help people unlearn 바카라사이트se undemocratic values, not reinforce 바카라사이트m.¡±

However, Rajeev Bhargava, director of 바카라사이트 Institute of Indian Thought at 바카라사이트 Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Developing Societies in Delhi, believed that ancient Indian texts should be studied at 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities.?

¡°[There is] a very important need to include literature and 바카라사이트ories which were neglected in 바카라사이트 past,¡± he said, including those emanating from India and 바카라사이트 wider Global South.?

But, he warned, it should be clear that 바카라사이트 texts are being studied for academic purposes and to understand history, not as instructive documents, much as lecturers today teach ancient Greek philosophies without advocating for 바카라사이트 slavery that was common 바카라사이트n.?

He believed academics needed to agree a way to study ancient Indian culture in order to understand 바카라사이트 country¡¯s history. They should be ¡°open to 바카라사이트 suggestion that 바카라사이트y have to produce a common syllabus for students which is not going to include everything [바카라사이트y] want¡±, he said.?

¡°I think we can come up with some structure which includes some of 바카라사이트se texts, but it should be very clear that 바카라사이트se things are not used as models but as sources for understanding 바카라사이트 ancient world.¡±

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