4 min readChennaiJan 20, 2025 10:11 AM IST
First published on: Jan 20, 2025 at 06:30 AM IST
A recent video of V Kamakoti, the director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, praising the medicinal benefits of cow urine has prompted reactions from rationalist groups and Congress’s Karti Chidambaram.
The remarks, made during a speech at a ‘Go Samrakshana Sala’ event in Chennai on January 15, coincided with the Tamil festival of Maatu Pongal. Celebrating cattle is a significant aspect of the festival, which honours the contributions of livestock in Tamil culture.
The remark was part of a speech during which he recounted an anecdote of a sanyasi who recovered from high fever after consuming gomutra (cow urine).
“A prominent sanyasi developed a fever. The idea of calling a doctor was suggested to him… I forgot the name of that sanyasi. He immediately said he would drink gomutra. Gomutra was immediately brought, and he consumed it with much ease. The fever seemed to have disappeared in 15 minutes. So, for antibacterial, antifungal, digestive issues, and irritable bowel syndrome – for many such issues – gomutra is a very important medicine,” Kamakoti said.
When contacted for a comment, Kamakoti’s office said they would revert later.
According to people close to him, the speech was in the broader context of promoting organic farming and protecting indigenous cattle breeds. They said his speech was mainly about the discourse on the importance of sustainable agricultural practices and rooted in published scientific studies that explored the bioactive properties of cow urine.
Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram, in a post on X, said “peddling pseudoscience” is “most unbecoming” of the director.
Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai commented on Kamakoti’s remark and said, “It’s unfortunate that our Chennai IIT Director, who is a very decorated person, who is an expert in AI, quantum computing, he chose to follow his dharma. He chose to pray to god in his own way. That is being politicised by a group of students union. Everybody has the right to practise his religion. I urge them to stop the protest, respect the sanctity of the institution. IIT Chennai is not only the pride of Chennai but the entire country.”
Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty came to the fore with an AI response which said the alleged benefits of cow urine are based on traditional claims and preliminary studies and more rigorous scientific research is needed to prove its effectiveness.
The Dravidar Kazhagam, a prominent rationalist organisation founded by social reformer Periyar, said Kamakoti was spreading “unscientific” ideas. They also demanded Kamakoti provide scientific evidence to support his claims or face protests.
Kamakoti, a computer scientist, is a recipient of the DRDO Academy Excellence Award in 2013 for his contributions to scientific research and technology development. According to his faculty profile page on the IIT’s website, his areas of research interest include cluster computing, high-performance computing, algorithms, data structures, and computational geometry.
He has two more years left in his tenure as IIT-Madras director, which started in 2022.
In his speech on Maatu Pongal, he also warned that “the indigenous cow breed is hurtling towards extinction” and stressed the need for “technological interventions” to reverse the trend. Talking about the vital role of indigenous cows in human health and sustainable farming, he said their benefits are multifaceted, adding that their urine, dung, milk, and ghee are all essential components for organic farming and human health.
He also linked the rise in cancer cases over the past 15 years to the widespread use of synthetic fertilisers, urging a shift to organic farming practices, and shared his own success with “zero-budget farming” using natural fertilisers.
Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram, in a post on X, said “peddling pseudoscience” is “most unbecoming” of the director (Express Archives) 
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