Singh is a former IPS officer who was posted as the Mumbai Police Commissioner from 2012 to January 2014
The newly inducted Minister of State, Human Resource Development Satyapal Singh wants engineering students to learn about Vishwakarma, a Hindu deity, worshipped by craftsmen and engineer community and the first Indian who flew an airplane, alongwith Wright Brothers, in their institutes.
Singh is a former IPS officer who was posted as the Mumbai Police Commissioner from 2012 to January 2014.
The minister who was speaking at an award function organised by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in the name of Vishwakarma also emphasised about the importance of learning about the ancient scientific discoveries and inventions in India right from the Ramayana period.
"When students in India are taught about the invention of airplanes, they are taught that Wright Brothers invented the plane in 1903 but how many of them know that before Wright Brothers, first plane was invented by an Indian Shivakar Babuji Talpade in the year 1895? Are students taught these things at IITs or engineering institutes? They are not, but they should be," Singh said.
He added that along with the Wright Brothers, students should be taught about Talpade and Pushpak Viman, which is a flying chariot described in Hindu texts.
"We are currently lagging behind in research and innovation. Our researchers need to be told about our rich culture and our civilization which dates back many thousands of years. We have seen such amazing examples of scientific inventions in the past, we should learn from them," he added.
The minister also spoke about a scientific method dating back to the Ramayan era. "Plants at Raavan's house had a chandramani (moon stone) in them, because of which they did not need to be watered. Students should study about all these things," he added.
The minister who has taken charge as the junior minister for higher education in the central government said that he will ask all education officials and researchers to compile more information about such ancient discoveries and scientific inventions, which students can learn in their institutes.
The AICTE event, Vishwakarma Awards for students where the minister was speaking, was organised to recognise excellence in the field of engineering.
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