NEW DELHI, April 15 -- It is time law colleges and universities formally incorporated ancient legal philosophy contained in the Vedas and epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata into the curriculum, Supreme Court justice Pankaj Mithal said, emphasising that students should be taught about concepts of justice and equity not as principles borrowed from the West but ideas embedded in India's ancient legal reasoning.

"It is time that our law schools formally incorporate the ancient Indian legal and philosophical traditions into the curriculum. The Vedas, the Smritis, the Arthashastra, the Manusmriti, the Dhammas, and the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana are not merely cultural artefacts. They contain deep reflections of justice, equity, ...