Integrating Indian Languages and Knowledge Systems to Decolonize Legal Education in India
Abstract
This paper examines the role of indigenous epistemologies, legal traditions, and linguistic diversity in reshaping legal education to make it more inclusive, culturally grounded, and socially responsive. Drawing support from the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, this study emphasizes the integration of Indian Knowledge Systems across disciplines. The study also explores how teaching law in Indian languages and incorporating indigenous legal concepts, values, and histories can enhance comprehension, critical thinking, and fairness within legal education. The paper evaluates the contribution of Indian Knowledge Systems to the historical and contemporary development of legal education in India and assesses the potential of indigenous epistemologies to refine legal curricula and pedagogical approaches. Further, the study identifies structural, institutional, and systemic challenges in adopting Indian Knowledge Systems and Indian languages in legal education, including issues of standardization, resource availability, faculty preparedness, and policy implementation. Ultimately, this study submits that embedding Indian Knowledge Systems and languages in legal education can contribute to the development of a more accessible, equitable, and culturally aligned legal system responsive to India’s unique social realities.
How to Cite This Article
Dr. Sanjay Prakash Srivastava (2026). Integrating Indian Languages and Knowledge Systems to Decolonize Legal Education in India . International Journal of Judicial Law (IJJL), 5(1), 17-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54660/IJJL.2026.5.1.17-25