Indian Minister of State for HRD, Satyapal Singh has demanded that Darwin’s theory of evolution should be banned from school and college curricula on the grounds that it is scientifically wrong. This rejection is not based on observation and experiment. He says that Indians in the ancient period never saw an ape turn into a man. His line of thinking is steeped in Hindutva and goes to the extent of rejecting the march of science worldwide over the centuries. If such attitudes prevail, Indian youths would be shackled by the cognitive knowledge of what our ancestors disseminated. If Singh persists in advocating this line of thinking, the mind of Indian youth will be fossilized. Singh is ironically the minister of state for Human Resource Development and is in charge of IITs & other advanced institutions.
Eminent scientists in India are appalled by Singh’s stance of turning his back on the knowledge of centuries. One wonders if his inclusion in the Indian cabinet indicates a general deficiency of talent among NDA ministers. Education appears to receive a low priority and is given a step-motherly treatment. Our schools & universities are in a pathetic condition. A report released last week shows the poor ranking of our universities. Multiplying their number will not mean progress. Science has to move on. All this however is not to underwrite the value of our ancient wisdom which is contained in the Vedas & Upanishads representing India’s glorious heritage. The medical knowledge spread by Charvak and Sushruta is still the basis of our much esteemed Ayurvedic Science. But to toss aside years of scientific research without a sound basis will lead to a degeneration of the spirit of scientific enquiry in this country. Ministers should mind their language while making statements that have far reaching consequences.