'UGC chief must quit'

By Our Science Correspondent

BANGALORE, APRIL 18. More than a hundred scientists from some of the leading scientific institutions in the country have signed a statement demanding the resignation of the Chairman of the University Grants Commission, Prof. Hari Gautam, in view of his support for astrology, his defaming the memory of one of India's greatest scientists and his inability to distinguish between science and non-science.

In a speech at Hyderabad recently, Prof. Hari Gautam had defended the UGC's decision to introduce astrology courses in universities, saying that the Nobel Laureate C.V. Raman had called astrology a science. Prof. S. Ramaseshan, himself a scientist of repute, who was C.V. Raman's nephew, his student and close associate for several decades, categorically told The Hindu here today that Raman did not believe in astrology at all and considered it an irrational subject.

The statement released today points out that the biography of C.V. Raman published by the Indian Academy of Sciences clearly documented the fact that he was not at all superstitious and despised ritual.

The statement noted: ``It is clear that Prof. Hari Gautam's claims are factually entirely unfounded. It is also clear that C.V. Raman would have been severely critical of the UGC Chairman's project that includes not only the introduction of astrology as a course, but also the teaching of other mumbo- jumbo, to use Raman's phrase, like Vaastu Shastra, Vedic rituals etc. as a regular course in universities to be treated on a par with other sciences with students being awarded degrees in these ``disciplines''. It is worth pointing out here that in 1975, 186 scientists from all over the world, including 19 Nobel Laureates that had amongst them India's own S. Chandrasekhar, issued a statement against the propagation of astrology that ended by stating that the ``time has come to challenge directly and forcefully, the pretentious claims of astrological charlatans.''

The statement went on to add: ``By the very act of promoting astrology as a so-called `science', Prof. Gautam has lost all credibility to function as Chairman of the UGC. His false assertions about the beliefs of one of India's great scientists further demonstrates his unsuitability as the titular head of higher education in a modern, secular and democratic state. It is our considered view that Prof. Gautam's continuation as Chairman of the UGC is unacceptable and that he should forthwith resign.''

The statement has been signed by scientists from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences at Chennai, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Madras Institute of Development Studies, the Chennai Mathematical Institute, IIT Chennai, Harish Chandra Research Institute at Allahabad, IIT Mumbai, the Indian Institute of Science and Indian Institute of Astrophysics at Bangalore, the Institute of Physics at Bhubaneswar, the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics at Kolkata, the Indian Statistical Institute at Delhi, the Jawaharlal Nehru University as well as some Indian scientists abroad.

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