Manusmriti enters NCERT’s new class 9 textbook; quote about respecting women

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has included a verse from the Manu-smriti in its newly introduced Class 9 Social Science textbook to explain that women were respected during the Vedic period. The Manusmriti has been controversial for years. Many critics say it justified social inequality, while others defend it as part of India’s civilizational heritage and say its teachings are often misunderstood.In the NCERT book, under the chapter State and Society up to 1000 AD, the textbook says that the Vedic period “is often described as a period during which women held a high and respected position in society.”The textbook adds that the tradition of respecting women continued in texts written after the Vedic period. He then quotes Manu-smriti 3.56, which says: “Where women, indeed, are honoured, the gods rejoice; where, however, they are not honoured, there all sacred rites are fruitless.”Shortly after quoting the verse, the textbook says that the status of women changed over time. She states: “Over time, women’s position and roles fluctuated, even declined, as social and political conditions changed. However, there are many examples of women continuing to contribute to household management, agriculture, crafts, and religious practices.”The chapter also provides examples from later periods. He says that the literary works of the Gupta-Vakataka period describe educated women skilled in the arts and mentions queens who played an important role in governance and religious patronage. It also highlights the women mentioned in Sangam literature as active participants in society and the economy.The textbook also reviews the concepts of varna and jati. He says that early Vedic society did not assign social status solely on the basis of birth. According to the book, social identity was shaped by various factors, including ethnicity, region, language, occupation, and cultural relations.He further explains that the four varnas were gradually linked to specific roles, but were originally conceived as functional categories rather than rigid divisions. According to the textbook, the jati system developed later through inter-communal marriage, endogamy and territorial differences. He adds that while the number of varnas remained fixed at four, there was no limit to the number of jatis, which continued to increase as new occupations and social groups emerged.