Academics Criticize Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Over Description of IIT Madras Director

More than 200 academicians have written an open letter to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, objecting to her description of IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti as a "gau mutra expert". The letter, signed by 215 academicians, including vice-chancellors and former vice-chancellors, said "mockery cannot be a substitute for reasoned engagement". "We write to express our disappointment over your reported remark describing IIT Madras Director Professor V Kamakoti as a 'gaumutra expert'. Whether intended as sarcasm or political rhetoric, such a characterisation raises concerns that go far beyond one individual," the letter read. Listing Kamakoti's academic and scientific credentials, the academicians argued that history reminds us that many ideas once considered implausible eventually found scientific validation, while many widely accepted beliefs are later discarded. "Professor Kamakoti is the head of one of India's foremost scientific and technological institutions. Like every academic, he is entitled to present hypotheses, discuss traditional knowledge and participate in scientific conversations," the letter read. "To dismiss a scholar through a label rather than engage with the substance of his views risks undermining the very scientific temper that our Constitution calls upon every citizen to develop. Scientific temper is not merely scepticism towards unconventional ideas; it is equally the willingness to examine claims objectively before accepting or rejecting them," it read. "In a democracy, disagreement is essential. Mockery is not a substitute for reasoned engagement. Public representatives wield enormous influence over the quality of national discourse. When complex scientific questions become objects of political ridicule, society loses an opportunity for informed debate," it added. Kamakoti, a Padma Shri awardee, is a member of the six-member task force on examination reforms constituted by the Union government following the NEET paper leak scandal. Priyanka made the remark while speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and suggested that the prime minister should change his advisors because he has become far removed from reality. "He (the prime minister) needs to understand that merely setting up new committees will not work. Not a single recommendation of the Radhakrishnan Committee has been implemented to date. Meanwhile, the new committee includes a former IB chief, an IT company owner, and even a 'gau mutra' expert," she had said. Kamakoti had courted controversy in January 2025 with his speech during Pongal celebrations at a cow shelter in Chennai. In his speech, Kamakoti narrated the story of a 'sanyasi' who, according to him, recovered from high fever after drinking cow urine. A video of the speech went viral, drawing criticism from several scientists, politicians and social media users. Responding to the criticism, Kamakoti had maintained at the time that his comments were based on published scientific literature.