Manusmriti Included in NCERTs New Class 9 Curriculum, Citing Womens Respect

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has incorporated a verse from the Manusmriti into its newly released Class 9 social science textbook. This inclusion addresses the historical perspective on womens status during the Vedic era, presenting it as a period characterized by a degree of respect and reverence towards women. However, the textbook also highlights that womens status experienced fluctuations, leading to a decline in their societal roles in subsequent periods.

The chapter delves into women’s contributions during the Vedic era, referencing hymns from the Rig Veda that celebrate the scholarly and public roles women occupied at that time. It also outlines later historical contributions of women in various domains, including governance and the arts. Moreover, the curriculum aims to contextualize the varna (class) and jati (sub-caste) systems, illustrating their evolving nature and advocating the notion that an individuals worth should be determined by their actions rather than their lineage.

The inclusion of this content in the textbook has sparked discussions among educators and scholars regarding the representation of historical narratives and the complexity of gender roles across different periods in Indian history.