NEW DELHI: Synergy between the past and the present is on the National Democratic Alliances’s ideological policy agenda. So when in doubt, consult the Vedas. And the Union Government is closely working on the convergence of traditional knowledge with modern science.
Vijnana Bharati, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated body spearheading a movement for Swadeshi sciences, is providing important inputs to the government in shaping up the policy in sectors of science and technology, health, education, environment and engineering among others.
The organisation, which boasts of having nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar and former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) head G Madhavan Nair as patrons and Vijay Bhatkar, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Delhi, as its National President, has held several meetings with Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu, Smriti Irani, Harsh Vardhan, Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javadekar in the last one year.
Also known as ‘Vibha’, the organisation claims that its inputs to government are based on scientific evidence well scripted in the Vedas.
Vijnana Bharati’s efforts are already showing results like the inclusion of a session on traditional and ancient sciences in the Indian Science Congress (ISC) earlier this year, a first in many decades.
It has provided important inputs from sciences in the Vedas and how that can be included in modern system of education starting from primary level to engineering colleges.
This is also an effort to get rid of the taboo associated with traditional sciences. It has already collected about 800 research papers on sciences in manuscripts and is also encouraging people to do more research in Vedic sciences.
The organisation has cited examples like Kedarnath and Pashupatinath Temple which survived massive flash floods and earthquake, stating that it was the ancient architectural build that saved them.
The organisation also talks of architectural marvels of famous Ajanta and Elora that protected the caves from the fury of many invaders.
“It is about ancient methods of engineering and architecture. The frame of Pashupatinath Temple is made out of timber, which is even today used in earthquake-resistant designs.
The pillars have been joined together using wooden wedges rather than iron nails, making it earthquake-resistant,” said a member of Vijnana Bharati.
A big event on relevance of traditional Indian sciences is being planned in IIT Delhi on December 4-8 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate it. Renowned scientists from across the world are scheduled to attend the event.