‘Baburnama is autobiography of tyrant anyway’: DU VC denies inclusion of Manusmriti in syllabus

NEW DELHI: There is no plan to introduce subjects like Manusmriti and Baburnama in Delhi University, said vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh amid a row over their inclusion in history syllabus this time. The VC denied all possibilities of teaching such subjects in the future too. Last year, the university faced widespread criticism over inclusion of Manusmriti in BA LLB syllabus.

The joint committee of courses of DU’s history department has already approved the history syllabus, as per a Times of India report. However, the academic council at DU is reportedly yet to clear the proposal.

Singh said, “we have no plan to introduce any course or study material like Manusmriti or Baburnama in DU. Neither such a subject is worth consideration before the DU administration, we overrule such subjects in future also.”

The DU VC said that Baburnama is the autobiography of a tyrant anyway. There is no need to teach it and it has no relevance in this time either. Under the New Education Policy (NEP 2020), he said, he wants to introduce new courses in accordance with Indian traditions, which will benefit the country and society.

“We are moving towards Viksit Bharat, in this direction, how the country's economy can be strengthened and how the scope of society can be improved, we are moving towards it. DU is designing its study material keeping in mind how we can achieve the resolve of becoming a developed nation by 2047, and what contribution DU can make in it,” Yogesh Singh added.

Following protests from teachers and opposition, DU rejected law faculty’s proposal to teach ‘Manusmriti’ in LLB paper ‘Jurisprudence’ last year. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan also rejected the proposal saying there is no question of including any controversial portion of any script in DU curriculum.