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Laws of motion were codified in mantras, says junior minister for education who trashed Darwinian theory

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Laws of motion were codified in mantras, says junior minister for education who trashed Darwinian theory

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]India’s Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Satyapal Singh, whose job is to take care of the country’s education system, has said the laws of motion were codified in mantras long before Isaac Newton. He had earlier trashed Darwin’s theory of evolution as ‘scientifically wrong’.

The minister, who was chief guest at National Science Day function on Wednesday, Feb 28, had made the statement on laws of motion at a meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) held on January 15 and 16, which was attended by several Union Ministers and education ministers of most of the states, said media reports quoting minutes of that meeting.

He also said that educational institutions must comply with Vastu shastra prescriptions for better learning, according to the minutes of meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) held on January 15 and 16, which was attended by several Union Ministers and education ministers of most of the states, said media reports.

“There are mantras which codified ‘laws of motion’ much before it was discovered by the Newton. Hence it is essential that traditional knowledge must be incorporated in our curriculum,” the minutes of the meeting quoted Singh, a former Mumbai police commissioner, as saying.

Suggestions at the meeting from other state ministers included replacing ‘Yes, sir’ in classrooms with ‘Jai Hind’ and singing the national anthem and hoisting the national flag in schools across the country.

One minister suggested syllabuses be remodelled towards ‘culture-based education’.

Kunwar Vijay Shah, the minister of school education from Madhya Pradesh, said: “The practice of saying ‘yes sir/yes ma’am’ during the school attendance should be replaced with the Jai Hind word.” He also asked for the “national flag hoisting and national anthem (to) be made compulsory in all the schools”.

Mahesh Sharma, minister of state (independent charge) for culture environment, forests and climate change, said that value- and culture-based education was the need of the hour. He suggested that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) should remodel the syllabus towards culture-based education. He also highlighted the need for “integrating education and culture to instil pride in our youth”.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html][/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1519811541030{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #a2b1bf !important;border-radius: 10px !important;}”]Satyapal Singh as Chief Guest at National Science Day function

On Wednesday Satyapal Singh, who was chief guest at a National Science Day function, stonewalled questions on Darwinian evolution.

In his speech, Singh said science was essential to the progress of society and that ancient Indian culture imbibed a culture of scientific investigation and didn’t have the conflict between science and religion, like in Europe.

“There was no struggle between science and religion in India and our tradition teaches us to live according to biological and natural laws,” he said in the course of his inaugural address. National Science Day is being celebrated since 1996 to commemorate the discovery of the Raman effect, that deals with the scattering of light and won Sir CV Raman the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930.

Singh stoutly refused to acknowledge repeated questions from journalists, on the sidelines of the function, on his views on evolution and if the ideas of Charles Darwin needed to be excised from textbooks. He also didn’t stay on for a talk by evolutionary biologist, Amitabh Joshi, of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In January, Singh had said that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was “scientifically wrong” and needed to be changed in school and college curriculum. “Since the man is seen on Earth, he has always been a man,” he had said, adding that our ancestors had not mentioned anywhere that they saw an ape turn into a man. To buttress his argument with his scientific credentials, he pointed out that he was a postgraduate in Chemistry. The man has also served as an IPS officer and was Mumbai Police Commissioner once. That he confused ‘evolution’ with ‘metamorphosis’ is another matter.

Besides, as is evident from the suggestions made at the CABE meeting, Satyapal Singh is ably supported by his party colleagues adorning positions similar to his.

Apart from doing all this for “integrating education and culture to instil pride in our youth”, the government is also embarking on a momentous move to bolster India’s security and enhance its power in the world through a ‘Rashtra Raksha Yagya’ which would be held at Red Fort from March 18-25.

The credit for organising the event goes to a BJP MP Maheish Girri. Most senior BJP leaders and Union ministers will be present for the grand yagya. According to Girri, President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Modi, BJP President Amit Shah have confirmed their presence for the event.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Amit Shah praises Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, says Nation above post

Amit Shah hailed Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister, saying BJP places the nation and students above any position while highlighting the government’s commitment to examination reforms.

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July 26, 2026

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Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday praised Dharmendra Pradhan’s decision to step down as Union Education Minister, saying the move reflected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to placing the nation and students above any political position.

In a post on X, Shah said that for BJP workers, the country, its youth and students are more important than any office. He described Pradhan’s resignation as an example of the party’s guiding principle of prioritising national interest over personal ambition.

Shah highlights government’s focus on exam reforms

Amit Shah said the Narendra Modi-led government respects the sentiments of students and remains committed to strengthening the examination system following concerns over alleged paper leaks.

He said the Centre has introduced strict measures to ensure severe punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks and expressed confidence that these steps would deliver justice to students who cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Praises Pradhan’s work as Education Minister

Recalling Dharmendra Pradhan’s tenure, Shah highlighted several initiatives undertaken during his time in the Education Ministry. He credited Pradhan with helping implement the National Education Policy (NEP), expanding PM SHRI schools, promoting digital education, strengthening skill development and improving coordination between industry and academic institutions.

Shah also said Pradhan worked towards making examinations more inclusive and student-centric, adding that his tenure reflected his commitment to the vision of a developed India.

Resignation follows NEET controversy

Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation comes amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and growing demands for accountability.

The resignation has triggered political reactions across party lines. While opposition parties have described the development as a result of sustained student protests, BJP leaders have projected it as an example of accountability and commitment to national interest.

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Assam flood death toll rises to 66, over 6.5 lakh people still affected

Assam’s flood situation improved slightly on Saturday, but more than 6.54 lakh people remain affected in six districts. Four fresh deaths have pushed the state’s flood toll to 66.

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July 26, 2026

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Assam floods

The flood situation in Assam showed marginal improvement on Saturday, though the disaster continued to impact more than 6.54 lakh people across six districts. Four more deaths were reported during the day, taking the total number of fatalities in this year’s floods to 66.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three of the latest deaths were reported from Sivasagar district, while one person lost their life in Charaideo.

The number of affected people declined from over 7.05 lakh across nine districts on Friday to 6,54,800 across six districts on Saturday, indicating a gradual improvement in the overall situation.

Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district

Among the affected districts, Sivasagar continues to be the worst hit, with nearly 2.9 lakh people impacted by the floods. Charaideo follows with around 1.9 lakh affected residents, while more than 1.3 lakh people remain affected in Jorhat.

The other districts still facing flood-related challenges are Dibrugarh, Golaghat and Nagaon.

Relief operations continue across affected areas

The ASDMA said the state administration is operating 274 relief camps and aid distribution centres across the affected districts. Around 18,902 displaced people are currently taking shelter at these facilities.

The latest daily bulletin also stated that floodwaters have inundated 810 villages across the state, while 34,970.8 hectares of agricultural land have suffered damage.

Rivers flowing above danger level

The floods have also damaged embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure in several areas.

Authorities said the Dikhou River in Sivasagar and the Dhansiri River at Numaligarh are flowing above the danger level, and officials continue to closely monitor the situation.

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UP Government forms new SIT led by 3 IPS officers to probe Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft

The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a new SIT led by three IPS officers to investigate the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case in Ayodhya following Supreme Court directions.

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13 hours ago

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July 26, 2026

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Ram Mandir

The Uttar Pradesh government has reconstituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IG Kiran S, with DIG Somen Verma and SSP Dr Gaurav Grover as members, to investigate the alleged theft of donations meant for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. 

The move comes after directions from the Supreme Court, which sought a reconstituted investigation team to ensure an independent and comprehensive probe into the allegations.

The newly formed SIT is expected to continue the investigation and submit a status report before the Supreme Court on July 27.

Senior IPS officers to lead the probe

According to the state government, the investigation will now be supervised by senior IPS officers.  The revamped SIT has been tasked with examining all aspects of the alleged embezzlement of temple donations and carrying the investigation forward.

The Supreme Court had observed that criminal investigations and technical examination of theft-related cases are more effectively handled by experienced police officers, leading to the reconstitution of the SIT under senior IPS leadership.

Probe to continue under court supervision

The case relates to the alleged embezzlement of offerings (chadhava) donated by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.

The Supreme Court is monitoring the investigation and will review the SIT’s status report at the next hearing.

Authorities are expected to continue examining evidence collected during the earlier stages of the investigation as the newly constituted SIT proceeds with the case.

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