While one speaker said that saying ‘namaste’ can keep diseases away, another said sindoor “helps in balancing blood pressure”. Then there were a few who said going around a Tulsi plant has a “cooling effect”, reported The Times of India.
The claims not only outraged the audience but also the scientific fraternity who said the discussed papers had no scientific basis and should not be allowed in future conferences.
A few eminent scientists and research scholars from Madhya Pradesh and a few other states are now planning to stage a protest at the RIE.
"We had sent emails to the principal of RIE, N Pradhan, saying that submission of such pseudoscientific papers should not be allowed. Shockingly, instead of stopping such papers, the organisers discussed several topics that have no scientific base," Professor Soumitro Banerjee, Indian Institute of Science Education & Research, told the newspaper.
Another researcher from Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai has also objected to the topics of discussion at the RIE.
Dr Sule said there were claims during the conference that sindoor helps balance blood pressure.
“It is obvious that this claim is a perfect example of pseudo-science,” he told the newspaper.
When RIE principal,N Pradhan, was contacted to comment on the issue, he said he is not a scientist and does not have the expertise to comment on technical papers.
He added that a committee was formed to check the papers that were submitted for discussion.
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