Jadavpur University has turned down the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) recommended “Cow Science” examination, a national-level exam to test knowledge on gau vigyan (cow science), calling it “unscientific philosophy”. The UGC had written to vice-chancellors of 900 institutions across the country to encourage students to enrol in the “Cow Science” exam.
“The University authority and teachers are of the view that the University has always upheld a Scientific and Secular form of education since it’s inception. Holding this examination will be a compromise with its eternal philosophy,” the University said on its official Facebook page.
The brainchild of the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog set up in 2019 under the Central Animal Husbandry ministry, the study material for the one-hour online examination says that cow dung is used as a protection against radiations in nuclear centres in India and Russia. It had protected Bhopal residents from the gas leak too. The material also states that Indian cows have a special power to absorb the sun’s energy with the help of the solar pulse situated in their humps. As a result, making Indian cow milk, cow dung, and cow urine nourishing.
Calling it unscientific, the University said that “at a time when COVID 19 has gripped the nation and most universities are suffering from lack of funds, teachers feel that research should have been conducted in Scientific disciplines well funded by the govt, instead the current exam tries to push a particular unscientific philosophy on the current generation of students.”
Registration for the exams, to be held in 13 languages, opened on 15 January 2021 and was scheduled for February 25. The Aayog’s spokesman Pureesh Kumar claim 5 lakh, 10,000 people have enrolled till now. However, on Sunday, Aayog chairman Vallabhbhai Kathiria said the exam has been postponed due to “administrative reasons” and a new date would be set in the next three-four days.
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