Hawking said Veda's theory superior to Einstein's 'Relativity': Harsh Vardhan
What's the story
Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan claimed today that renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, who passed away two days ago, had said that the Vedas have a theory superior to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. But when asked, he refused to give the source of his information, instead challenging journalists present to find the information themselves. Incidentally, Vardhan isn't known for accuracy of his statements.
Quote
What exactly did Vardhan say this time?
Speaking at the inaugural session of the 105th Indian Science Congress in Imphal, Vardhan said, "We recently lost a renowned scientist, cosmologist Stephen Hawking. He emphatically said on record that our Vedas might have a theory which is superior to Einstein's theory of e=mc^2."
Challenge
Vardhan, infamous for inaccurate statements, dares journalists to find source
When reporters at the event asked him to back his statement with a source, he said, "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." If they couldn't, they could contact him in Delhi, he added.
'Source'
So where did Vardhan pick up the information from?
According to PTI, a Google search on Hawking, Einstein and Vedas gives several links. One is of www.servveda.org, which claims the scientist made the comment in November'11. The website is hosted by the Institute of Scientific Research on Vedas, or I-SERVE. According to the website, I-SERVE is recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research as a 'Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.'
Statements
The many precious gems from Vardhan throughout the years
Vardhan has often been in the news for his controversial, unscientific and regressive statements. In 2014, he said the anti-AIDS campaign in India should focus on fidelity rather than use of condoms. He also called for "so-called sex education" to be banned in schools. This was when he was running as the Delhi CM candidate in 2013.
Twitter Post
When Vardhan suggested how the poor should "gain our sympathy"
Even if someone's poor wears torn clothes -as long as they're clean, they may gain our sympathy but never our repulsion #SwachhataHiSeva pic.twitter.com/LEC174wYNf
— Dr. Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) September 30, 2017
'Science'
The teachings of the Indian 'Science' Congress
Likewise, the Indian 'Science' Congress isn't known for its scientific opinions either. At the 2015 event, a speaker claimed that 7,000 years ago, Indians used to travel to other planets on aeroplanes. Vardhan had said Pythagoras' Theorem was invented in India, not by Pythagoras in Greece. Another said cows carry a special bacteria that allows it to transform whatever it consumes into 24-carat gold.