The Relevance and need for inclusion of Indian Knowledge Systems in Modern Legal Education

India’s legal education has evolved from rote learning to a multidisciplinary, experiential system through successive reforms, starting with the Radhakrishnan Commission’s humanistic vision and culminating in the technology-driven National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Bar Council of India (BCI) amendments (2022–2025) (T, 2025). Justice Pankaj Mithal, former Judge of Supreme Court of India, recently in an address stated that “We must now turn to the deeper roots of our legal tradition to understand how the modern constitution draws from a moral reservoir far older than its text… ... The concept of Justice in Indian tradition is not a recent invention. Long before the language of modern jurisprudence took form, the sub-continent had developed a rich moral vocabulary around justice, duty, righteousness and governance” (Eslam, 2025). It is interesting to note that the Supreme Court of India long before one of their decisions used in a way Indian Knowledge System through a folklore story of King Manu needhi Chozha and quoted “……..The king went through the same pain the cow had as he witnessed his son die and thereby, being just at all costs. The Judges of all the Courts, since its very inception, have always maintained this great tradition of the Chozha King and are rendering even justice to all concerned, whosoever he or she may be, irrespective of the fact whether they are rich or poor, and whether they occupy a high or a low status in the society” (National Lawyer’s Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms and Ors. vs Hon’ble Shri J.S. Khehar, 2016). Therefore, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has themselves set up a standard to use such examples, for better clarification and application of legal principles as it is fit to the Indian social and cultural background. But, sadly as the survey conducted notes, the same has not been understood by the legal fraternity and those in “power” of determining the legal education standards across India. Therefore, it is pertinent that the inclusion of Indian Knowledge System would of course lead to a better outcome in India’s path towards “Viksit Bharat 2047” and legal fraternity through a new form of legal education free from the Colonial shackles could finally attain their “Freedom” and learn what their own country has taught for centuries. Yet as jokingly remarked by famous Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor in one of his film dialogues “What are law studies today? Heny the eight had eight wives……….There is relation in demand and supply..A little bit of English and 50 marks for Hindi. Is it all important?” (Anand, 1948)and as a poignant remainder we are in a position to accept with great difficulty that the condition of legal education remains the same.

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