Now, BHU exam tests BA students on ‘Kautilya’s GST, Manu’s kingship’

Manu and Kautilya seem to be favourites of question paper setters at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) these days.

First, MA first semester political science students at the university were asked queries about the duo in their examination a few weeks ago. And now it is the turn of BA fifth semester (honours) students who found similar posers in their exam held on Saturday. The question paper was on ‘Political Thought: Indian and Western-1’.

Question numbers 2 and 3 of BA third-year political science paper read: “Discuss the nature of the political thought of Manu and discuss the GST as described by Kautilya’s Arthshastra.” Each query carried 10 marks.

A student, who refused to be named, said: “Queries on GST in Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Manu as first global thinker, BJP and AAP were there in two different MA political science papers. I didn’t expect queries on similar topics in our (BA fifth semester political science) paper.”

Kaushal Kishore Mishra, professor at BHU’s department of political science, said, “Manu and Kautilya’s Arthashastra are part of the third-year curriculum.”

The GST had a slab system, Mishra said. He asked: “Where is the problem if students were asked to discuss GST as described by Kautilya’s Arthashastra. As far as the query on the political thought of Manu is concerned, it is well known that Manu was a great thinker of his time.” He said he taught the subject but has no idea who set the semester paper.

Another BHU professor, who did not wish to be named, said, “Kautilya’s Arthashastra discussed the tax system as per the requirement of the monarchy. At the time of Kautilya, the economy was...not as complicated as it is at present. The GST was not at all discussed in Kautilya’s Arthashastra. The one who set the paper has a better idea as to why he framed such a question.”

Shashikant Yadav, a research scholar at BHU’s department of history, said, “I have huge respect for all the professors. I am shocked to know that the BA political science question paper had queries on topics like GST as described by Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Manu. I think whosoever set the paper wants to remain in the limelight.”

PROFESSOR MISHRA SAID HE HAD TAUGHT POLITICAL SCIENCE BUT HAD NO IDEA WHO SET THE QUESTION PAPER