Evolution, Science & Education in India

I have always admired how Indians seemed to have accepted and understood evolution better than most developed nations. I used to attribute it to Indian belief systems being more flexible and not as bound by scriptures.

But then the country’s education minister said this yesterday… “Nobody, including our ancestors, have said or written that they ever saw an ape turning into a human being.” and later called for removal of evolution theory from textbooks! #FacePalm

So thought of penning this quick note.  Hope to soon enhance this piece or write a new detailed piece based on my understanding of evolution.

Learning From History – At Peace With History (The Sceptical Patriot)

Just finished reading “The Sceptical Patriot”, a book that examines the veracity of popular “India Facts” like Invented the zero, Sanskrit is the best language for computers, India never invaded another country, India was once the most prosperous nation, Plastic surgery was developed in India … The author deals with several such “facts” that gets bandied over email, facebook, dinner conversations and more. He deals with them in a layman-friendly and mildly-funny text of 200 odd pages.

The aim of the book and also this post is not to mock, belittle or ignore India’s past achievements but to take a realistic view based on the evidence available.

Question the guru. Question the sanskars.

Indian newspapers recently carried stories of the police allegedly using mumbo-jumbo tantriks to talk to the dead to solve murder mysteries.  Soon after came stories of a reputed media house publishing a book that claimed to unravel the journey of the soul and life after death. Later a well-known computer scientist supported the police’s attempts to talk to the dead. A few months prior to this was the Unnao gold dig where archeologists started digging for gold based on a seer’s dream. These are just a few of the countless cases of irrational behaviour that are so blatant and mainstream in India.

Why is it that despite science being such a prized subject in schools and colleges, do Indians do so badly at adopting a scientific approach?

Astrology vs Science & Reason | Which side are you on?

A few months back came the shocking news of the Palkar family suicide in Pune, where Arun Palkar(40), a well off electrical contractor consumed sleeping pills along with his wife (37) and children aged 11 & 6. He did so because he believed that Shani (Saturn) and Mangal (Mars) were so unfavourably placed in his horoscope that irrespective of what he did, he & his family would never be happy. It is likely that he even planned the suicide so as to rescue his family from present & future suffering.

Water Cuts TimeTable & Water Crisis Predictions 201’x’

By studying data over several years, Oak Labs has come out with the following predictions & timetable for Pune Water Cuts (Crisis). This timetable has been drawn up in 2012 but will apply just as well till the year 2019.

Predictions from 2020 onwards were found to be unsuitable for publication, fearing widespread unrest and law & order issues.

You can change the names & tweak the dates for these predictions to apply to any other city in India.

Letter To MEA Following My Ordeal For Passport Reissue At The Pune Passport Office

With reference to contact information at http://meaindia.nic.in, have sent the email below to ascpv.twitter AT gmail.com. CCed to jsxp AT mea.gov.in , usxps AT mea.gov.in . Link for information sent via twitter to @ForeignSecNRao  , @VPrakashMea , @IndianDiplomacy @ASCPV.

I will update the article / the comments section if & when I get a reply from the ministry.

*Update 10th June : ASCPV has forwarded to Pune RPO & jsxp.mea has forwarded to M.Pardeshi. No comment or regret as yet.
*Update 22nd June: – No response from MEA as yet. Have sent a reminder tweet. Will send a reminder mail next week.
*Update 29th June: No reply yet. Sent a followup email to the concerned officials.
*Update 30Dec12: A blog about the new Pune Passport office.

IDEA Cellular Needs To Get Its Act Together, Particularly Internet & Customer Care

Been an IDEA subscriber for almost a decade. True to it’s ads, IDEA has always had good connectivity, at least in Maharashtra. So hardly ever have I had issues like dropped calls or a weak signal. So if you are a basic phone+SMS kind of mobile user, IDEA is a good option. However start venturing into more advanced features and IDEA starts to struggle.

Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti – 20 Yr Convention

For the past 6 months or so, I have been associated with Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (ANS), an organization that aims to promote rational thought in society and works for the elimination of superstitions, blind faith & customs. Many social movements tend to peak in about 3 years since inception and then tend to die out in another 3-5 years. However the ANS has been at work for a remarkable 20+ years.

Please Search That Diplomat

The Indian media has been making a fuss about Indian diplomats being searched by US airport security. I honestly do not understand what the big deal is, if these people were being searched based purely on suspicion & not based on any racist or discriminatory reasons.