THE RISING MENACE OF PSEUDOSCIENCE IN INDIAN SOCIETY

                                      The impression that Science developed only in Europe is a deeply embedded misinterpretation in the minds of educated people . But the contributions of Indian society in the various fields of sciences including Maths,Astronomy ,Medicine ,Architecture etc is highly laudable . Bhaskara (7th century mathematician ) , Aryabhata (mathematician -astronomer), Sushruta ( father of Indian medicine and plastic surgery)  and Charaka (principal contributor to Ayurveda) are some of the eminent names which proves that India has been a scientific country . Later in the post colonial period and modern India also we have witnessed a significant expansion of science and technology . The latest news on Dr Swati Mohan who hails NASAs 'perseverance mars mission ' is also its protraction .  Even the constitution of India enshrines that developing scientific temper ,humanism and spirit of inquiry and reform is a fundamental duty of its citizens .

                              But the irony is that  the believes like '' cow urine consumption will wipe out the infection and this pandemic was a testimony of God's wrath that was prompted by growing immodesty and immortality of women '' etc is strongly ingrained in the same society .This is what we term as ' PSEUDOSCIENCE ' simply inculcating a collection of believes or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method . The recent incidents of mob lynching , honour killings ,illogical superstitions and religious affairs reflects that India's scientific rationalism is pushing back . This toxic mixture of misinformations ,promoted as legitimate science is a part of commercialism , spiritualism , subjectivism and irrationalism . 

                      Science ,instead of looking backward using past data to predict the present ,it looks forward with an eye to observe with no pre-concerned notions .But what pseudoscience does is it is simply trying to confirm and glorify  the believes of ancient period .So the question is when we begin to test a theory are we looking to confirm it or disconfirm it ? We may conclude that science is ready to revise with new evidences where fake science is not .The scientific methods is always testifiable , refutable and falsifiable . So while crowd-sourcing knowledge to  favour personal interests the pseudoscience fails to follow the pyramid of scientific analysis including '' observation,questioning,hypothesis ,experiment ,analysis and conclusion . That is how it stifles the critical thinking of the people and hamper India's development .

                    Now it is relevant to quote some incidents which proves the significance of this topic .During the pandemic our PM directed us to light up the candles and we followed .But the tweet of the former IMA president itself proves the percolation of pseudoscience . He argues that it is a yogic principle of collective consciousness without any ample evidence .Even that tweet is later deleted it shows how social media can promotes this . Comparing ancient Indian Vimana to NASA's dragon, pointing Karna's birth to cell science &technology , Attributing  the 100 children of a women in Mahabharatha to stem cell technology ,Lord Ganesha to prove that ancients doctors had mastered cosmetic surgery etc are some apt examples . With this we cannot argue that restricting this fake science will hurt the religion ,because these are simply intermingling unreality and mythology to sciences drawing imaginary and glorious past . How can we conclude that cow worshiping is scientific? Promoting 'Bovine products as medication for Covid , corpse incineration of victims and meat aversion hysteria unfolding the Covid 19 breakout etc are now highlighted to praise Indian culture of  Namste and vegetarianism .Very recently in Maharashtra ,husband made the hands of his wife to be dipped in boiled oil to prove the genuinity .But how logical is the belief that it will not hurt if she is pure and genuine .

                   In astrology , it believes that the relative positions of celestial bodies can be explained(in many cases these positions are a major threat for girls during marriages), In creationism , it is argued that theory of evolution is wrong and created by God(Once even a minister argued to remove this theory from curriculum), In Crystology , it is believed that it have the power to heal people(This has now emerged as an industry),and  In Graphyology , it argues that person's handwriting can tell about their character . Thus in almost all the fields , Pseudo science is entrenched .

                  Eclipsed by a rising wave of unscientific believes and religious bigotry it is high time to raise the budgetary funding for science and technology and modify the education policies giving preferences to scientific thought over ideology .Pseudo science is a comic-sans of knowledge and it is powerful even to retard our development .This is paving the way for fascism in intellectual thoughts and freedom . 

 ''THE ESSENCE OF SCIENCE IS INDEPENDENT THINKING AND HARD WORK NOT EQUIPMENTS ''

                            -      SIR C V RAMAN 

So on this occasion  of national science day(February 28) I urge the youngsters to join hands to erase the pseudoscience and to inculcate scientific thoughts .

LET OUR BELIEVES GO , ACCEPT THE EVIDENCE AND MOVE ON ..