New Delhi: “Write an essay on the nature of GST in Kautilya’s Arthshastra?”. This was a question in the first semester Political Science paper for MA students of Banaras Hindu University.
Dr. Kaushal Kishor Mishra, who is a professor in Political Science, has set the paper titled “Social and Political Thought: Ancient and Medieval India.” He said this will “make students proud of Ancient India, so that they know that ancient wisdom is not useless.”
Mishra told News 18.com, “We teach ancient political thought then why can’t we locate GST in Arthshastra? Those who can’t do this should leave research. The teachers who cannot differentiate between Kautilya and Chanakya should leave teaching. Arthshasrta is way ahead of its time – I will also be teaching about RTI, Judicial Review in Arthshastra in my next classes. The students need to be told how great ancient India was.”
He said, “Kautilya gave the idea of one tax one nation. He believed taxation to be a unifying factor. We can locate these trends in Arthshastra along with the taxes he determined for different products like – gold, food, vehicles in those times etc.”
The question paper also asks about “Manu as the first thinker of Globalization.” Mishra has done his PhD in “Manusmriti main Rajtantra.”
He talked about his other paper as well –Indian Political System – in that question paper he has asked about the political parties’ rise and fall. Some of the questions he told News18.com are: “BJP ke ubhav aur vikas pe likhiye” (Write on the rise of BJP). “Congress ke parabhav pe likheye?” (Write on the decline of Congress). “AAP kya hai?” (What is AAP?).
“I have also set these questions for the Indian Political System paper and all those who think it is a prachar or promotion of any political party then it is their problem. We have Political Parties in our syllabus so can’t we discuss the contemporary political parties?,” Mishra said.
Some BHU teachers, who did not wish to be quoted, said they were amused at the content in the question papers on GST and Kautilya, Manu and Globalisation.
Mishra stands firm. “Desh badal raha hai … Question papers bhi badlenge. “Our Prime Minister goes to Times Square and speaks in Hindi… It has never happened before,” he added.
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