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| No Pseudo science and Pseudo scientists | | | Omkar Dattatray | 2/28/2019 10:56:31 PM |
| | Indian science congress association was established in the year 1914. It is a premier scientific organization of India with its head quarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. ISCA meets annually in the first week of January. With the modest beginning ISCA has grown into a strong fraternity with more than 40 thousand members. As the very name implies, this is the organization devoted to the growth, research and development of science and scientific temper among the citizens of Indian. It has been focusing its attention towards the development of science. First Science congress was held from 15th to 17th January in 1914 and since then ISCA is holding this conference annually to boost science and scientific spirit among the people and pupil in the country. The 34th science congress was held from January 3rd to 8th with Pt. J.L Nehru as general president. Nehru had a great interest in science and believed in the development of science and technology for the nations economic and over all development. There was hardly any session of ISCA which Nehru missed. Right from its inception science congress has been focusing on the development of science and for fostering scientific temper and spirit among the citizens but lately it is alleged that science congress and its objectives have been hijacked by the political executives and politicians. There is some truth in it but to say that this scientific platform has been invaded by politicians of various hues is not correct either. On January 8th 2019 after Kaurav controversy science congress will amend its policy on speakers. Facing widespread criticism after two of its speakers who are renowned scientists made some unscientific claims during their lectures; the ISCA has decided to go for a policy change which will require prior scrutiny of the contents of the speech. It was during the current 106th ISC in Jallander that G.Nageshewara had made some unsubstantiated claims that Kauravs were born of stem cells and Lanka's Ravan had possessed heat Missile technology. Yes it is true that there is no truth in these claims but the fact of the matter is that India's contribution to the world fund of knowledge and science is no mean by any standard and the fact is that India's contribution to science and technology cannot be termed as Pseudo science and pseudo scientists. Indian science's are not sham and pseudo which the super secularists and secular scientists are propagating. Some say that vocalizing the pseudo scientific beliefs about the Indian mythologies has become a norm in ISC for quite some time. It seems that this year's science congress was no different. All India People's science network has demanded that the president, the scientific advisor to PMO, the three Indian science academies and ISCA should step in and end this repeated misuse of ISC since 2014 to spread so called pseudo science and irrationality. But the fact is India is not the land of snake charmers only but India in the ancient past has produced great saints and scientists as well. Ancient India was a land of sages, seers as well as the land of scholars and scientists. Research has shown that from making the best steel in the world to the teaching the world to count, India was actively contributing to the world of science and technology centuries long before modern laboratories were set up. India has always been the birth place of great scientists. Right from Aryabhatta, Varaha mehra, Charak up to APJ Abdul Kalam, V. Ramakrishna, India has produced some brilliant minds that have immensely contributed in the field of science and technology. A brief mention may be made of the few scientists and their contributions. 1. Homi Jahengir Baba. He is known as the father of India nuclear program. He is also known as the architect of India's atomic energy program. India's nuclear test in 1974 was possible only because of him. The fact is that five thousand years back Kanad Rishi has given the theory of atomic energy. 2. Indian origin biologist cum scientist Sh. Venkatraman Radha Krishanan is known for "Studies of structure and functions of Ribosome". 3. J.C Bose was a physicist and polymath, biologist, bio- physicist. He is considered as the pioneer in the field of investigation of Radio and micro wave optics. He is the known as the father of the radiology. 4. Vikram Sarabhai is the known as the father of India's space program. 5. APJ Abdul Kalam was associated with ISRO since 1962. He was credited with India's first indigenous missile (SLV-3). 6. Satyadra Nath Bose is famous for his work on quantum mechanics. Others include C.V Raman, Subramaniyam Chander Shaker, Har Gobind Khorana and others and are they pseudo scientists, not at all. There contribution to science and technology is next to none. They are the modern scientists but the contribution of ancient Indian knowledge to science cannot be exaggerated. Here is a look at some of top Indian contributions to science over centuries 1. Atomism: - The earliest mention of the concept of atom dates back to India. A couple of popular schools of thought dating back to 6th century B.C developed theories about how atoms combine to form more complex objects. Reference to atom in west emerged about a century later. 2. Zero: - It is the gift of Indian science to world. Zero was recognized as a number and not merely a symbol of separation amongst all other numbers in India. It was given in 9th century A.D. 3. Trigonometric function: - the function of Sine and Cosine can be traced back to India. 4. Modern decimal system: - It was complied in its entirety in India. India has completed it in 9th century. 5. Chandra Shaker limit: - Indian noble prize winner physicist Subramaniyam Chandrashekar discovered the calculations used to determine the future of what could happen to chemistry. 6. Medical science and surgery: - In B.C 800 first compendium on medicine and surgery was complied in ancient India. 7. Fine arts, civil engineering and architecture: - the discovery of urban settlements of Mohenjodaro and Harrappa indicate existence of civil engineering and architecture. 8. Ship building and navigation: - Sanskrit and Pali texts have several references to maritime activity by ancient India. Ancient India is birth place of Chess, ludo, snake and ladder and playing cards. Mechanical and preventive technology: - Greek historians have testified to melting of carbon metals in India in 4th century B.C. A mathematician of 12th century Baskaracharya authored several books on Mathematics. Thus the contributions made by ancient Indians to science and technology will make you proud. Vedic literature is replete with concept of zero, the unique technique of algebra and algorithms, square root and cube roots. Origin of calculus lies in ancient India 300 years before Libnit and Newton. Rig Veda 2000 B.C refers to astronomy. Concept of atom and its relativity were explicitly stated by Indian philosophers around 600 B.C. These are some of the contributions of Indian scientists to the fund of science knowledge and one should be proud of one's past history and culture and we have still to learn much from western sciences and they have to learn culture and spirituality from India. This world is one family according to Vedanta and the whole world countries are dependent upon one another. Therefore what is required is the blend of science and spirituality. But then the contribution of ancient India to the world of science cannot be denied and it cannot be called pseudo science and the ancient scientists cannot be called pseudo scientists as they are scientists pure and total. What is required is to depoliticized ISC and make it a purely science platform to develop science research and technology and also foster scientific spirit among students and citizens. True ISCA and its events should not be hijacked but it should be kept free to facilitate scientific research and development and to further the cause of science in India. All said and done one is constrained to accept that some sort of aero-plane by the name of Pushpak Veman was there during the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata and we should be proud of our past and at the same time ISCA should be given freedom to further advance the cause of science and technology for the service to Indians and this institution should not be politicized anymore. And then Indian sciences and scientists are no pseudo sciences and scientists and if we call them so it will be a great disservice to the cause of science and research. Therefore super secularists and so called intelligentsia should desist from painting Indian scientists and India's contribution to science sham, farce and pseudo. |
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