Pro-BJP Syndicate member in Calicut varsity seeks research facility on astrology

A pro-BJP Syndicate member in the University of Calicut (CU) has urged Vice-Chancellor P. Raveendran to start research and studies on astrology in affiliated colleges.

This comes against the backdrop of a news report in these columns quoting a decision of the steering committee on four-year undergraduate courses to reject the demand for a research facility linking astrology and astronomy.

A.K. Anuraj, the Syndicate member, pointed out in a letter to Mr. Raveendran that Kerala had a rich legacy of academic research on astrology. The subject had been gaining acceptance at the national and international levels, too. “Astrology is an important part of India’s ancient knowledge system. It is also historically linked to climate studies, mathematics, and astronomy,” he added.