The incongruity of caste and science
The article critiques the recent appearance of caste-based posters at IIT-Mandi, arguing that such hierarchies are incompatible with scientific temper and constitutional values. It contrasts the rigid social stratification of the Manusmriti with modern democratic principles and scientific evidence regarding social determinants of health.
Why it matters
The incident sparks a broader debate on the persistence of caste discrimination within elite academic institutions and its conflict with modern scientific and constitutional ethics.
All humans must be treated equally. That is a moral and constitutional position. It is not a scientific position because science does not carry moral or constitutional authority.
The normative system laid out in the ‘Manusmriti’ expresses the ‘principle’ that the birth of a person says something essential about who that person is supposed to be, with persons born into specific social categories to be assigned a place in the division of labour and a set of permitted relationships and social rights. Modern constitutional thinking is radically different. Per the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights and the constitutional democracies of today, individuals possess rights that depend on more than their place in a social hierarchy. After all, the fundamental rights of the Indian Constitution are attached to persons and citizens, not to inherited social functions.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in