DNA Edit: No, minister!

Some politicians wear their ignorance like a badge of honour. Satyapal Singh, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development is one such man. His “PhD in chemistry from Delhi University” notwithstanding, the Union minister has challenged Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution on the grounds that “nobody has seen an ape turn into a man”. Will someone please tell Singh that evolution isn’t like instant coffee or pizza but a slow, gradual process involving millions of years. In his seminal work titled On the Origin of Species, Darwin had proposed in 1859 that “organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioural traits. Changes that allow an organism to better adapt to its environment will help it survive and have more offspring”.

Over the years, this theory of evolution by natural selection was supported by evidence from a wide variety of scientific disciplines, such as palaeontology, geology, genetics and developmental biology. Ironically, the survival of the fittest theory has undergone some modifications in politics, where the toughest and the most ignorant currently rule the roost. It’s a fact, as Singh claimed, that there is a lot of literature available on the Internet that claims to challenge Darwinism. Had they contained a grain of truth, the world would have sat up and taken note immediately.

In an age, where information travels faster than light and half-truths are peddled as gospel, Singh should have been a little more circumspect. After all, he’s an educated man. The former Mumbai top cop can’t resist triggering a controversy. Last time, he had set tongues wagging with “how many boys will marry a girl who goes to her wedding in jeans?” remark. This time, the media has devoted considerable time and energy to showcase his ignorance. Singh should thank Darwin for that.