India
Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday claimed that cosmologist Stephen Hawking, who passed away this week, had said the Vedas have a theory that is superior to Albert Einstein's equation e=mc^2 that sums up the theory of special relativity.
Updated : Mar 17, 2018, 08:48 AM IST
Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday claimed that cosmologist Stephen Hawking, who passed away this week, had said the Vedas have a theory that is superior to Albert Einstein's equation e=mc^2 that sums up the theory of special relativity.
Vardhan, who was addressing the inaugural session of the 105th Indian Science Congress here, however, parried questions on the source of the information.
"We recently lost a renowned scientist, cosmologist Stephen Hawking. He also emphatically said on record that our Vedas might have a theory which is superior to the Einstein's theory of e=mc^2," Vardhan told a gathering of scientists and academicians.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla, Chief Minister N Biren Singh were present on dais when Vardhan spoke.
Asked to disclose the source to buttress his claim, Vardhan told reporters, "You find the source. He had on record said that there is a possibility that Vedas have a better formula than the one given by Einstein. You also work a bit on this (to find this source)." Vardhan, who is an ENT (Ear Nose Throat) specialist by qualification, told reporters that could get back to him in Delhi if they failed in their research.
"I have said this in an open forum. I thought he needs to be remembered (on the occasion)," the minister said.
Vardhan also defended his statement on Twitter.
"#ISC2018- Each and every custom and ritual of Hinduism is steeped in science; every modern Indian achievement is continuation of our ancient scientific achievement. Even Stephen Hawking said, our Vedas might have a theory superior of Einstein's law E=MC^2," Vardhan tweeted.
A Google search on Stephen Hawking and the Vedas throws open several links, one of which, www.serveveda.org, makes the claim. The website is hosted by the Institute of Scientific Research on Vedas.
The portal also claims that the organisation I-SERVE is recognised by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) of the government of India as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
Einstein's theory of special relativity is a critical contribution to modern physics.
As part of his Theory of Special Relativity, he made the intriguing point that a large amount of energy could be released from a small amount of matter. This was expressed by the equation E=mc2 (energy = mass times the speed of light squared).
#ISC2018 –Each and every custom and ritual of Hinduism is steeped in science; every modern Indian achievement is a continuation of our ancient scientific achievement. Even Stephen Hawking said, our Vedas might have a theory superior to Einstein’s law E=MC2. @moefcc @IndiaDST pic.twitter.com/QP9PbLElCd
— Dr. Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) March 16, 2018
It is not just that @drharshvardhan is a science minister. He is also a doctor. If #Vedas are superior to everything else in the world, why didn't he do a degree in Vedas instead? Where was the need to study modern medicine & surgery? Oh wait, did he do that from #RSS school? https://t.co/uBJG3twuDu
— Aarti Tikoo Singh (@AartiTikoo) March 17, 2018
The Vedas have many insights superior to Einstein and modern physics, like Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma, the entire universe is Brahman and Aham Brahmasmi, the Self is Brahman. Brahman is beyond time, space and causation as Being-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute.
— Dr David Frawley (@davidfrawleyved) March 16, 2018
I am sure soon Stephen Hawking's office is going to officially reject the statement of @drharshvardhan that Hawking said Vedas having equation superior to Einstein's. It is India that stands shamed before world community. Great achievement!
— Aravindan (@arvindneela) March 17, 2018
Wow, this is shameful. I dug around and I think I found the source of this. There were multiple articles saying he said it, and they all link to -- wait for it -- this page run by an Indian guy whose display name is Stephen Hawking. https://t.co/0QgS9te5sS pic.twitter.com/EumOpuNY7S
— Sandhya Ramesh (@sandygrains) March 16, 2018
Modi's science minister, ladies and gentlemen. He fondly believes Hawking said the Vedas might contain stuff like e=mc^2, and will tell India's greatest conclave of scientists that.
— Mihir Sharma (@mihirssharma) March 16, 2018
What a complete embarrassment of a government, from beginning to end. https://t.co/nnS3yNPmu5
So in summary, India’s science minister quoted a fake Stephen Hawking Facebook page to claim the late scientist said the Vedas could contain more advanced scientific theories than Einstein’s, and then, asked his source, replied: “You find it” #Friday
— michael safi (@safimichael) March 16, 2018
India’s science minister uses fake Stephen Hawking quote claiming that Vedas contain theory “superior” to Einstein’s theory of relativity. (This after junior education minister denied Darwin’s theory of evolution because nobody “saw an ape turning into a man.”) https://t.co/IQGPKEPHG3
— Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) March 16, 2018
"Stephen Hawking said Vedas have theory superior to Albert Einstein’s e=mc^2."
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) March 16, 2018
Turns out our Science Minister's source for this claim might be a man called Hari who runs a Stephen Hawking fan page.
I don't even. pic.twitter.com/ubi1hNE24C
Even Vijay Bhatkar, the man behind the supercomputers in India and also known for his links with the RSS-backed scientific organisation Vigyan Bharati, said he was not aware of Hawking's this quote on the Vedas.
"I personally have not come across this quote," Bhatkar said, but added that it does not mean the quote doesn't exist.
He said that he is "not contradicting" the minister.
Bhatkar is currently the chancellor of the Nalanda University and on a government panel that has been set up for carrying out scientifically validated research on cow derivatives, including its urine, and its benefit.
Several claims made in past editions of the Indian Science Congress have come under criticism by the scientific community for not being backed by empirical evidence.
For instance, a lecture in the 102nd Indian Science Congress held in Mumbai examined ancient aviation technology in the Vedas and claimed that aeroplanes existed in India 7,000 years ago and they travelled from one country to another and from one planet to another.
The Indian Science Congress is an annual science carnival, which is attended by students, academicians and top scientists from India and the world over.