Recognition for cow urine research: Congress mocks Padma Shri for IIT Madras chief

IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti being awarded the Padma Shri has triggered a political row, with the Congress taking a swipe at the academic over his past remarks on cow urine, even as the award was officially cited for his contributions to the field of education.

The Kerala unit of the Congress on Sunday posted a sarcastic congratulatory message on X, saying, “Congratulations to V Kamakoti on receiving the honour. The nation recognises your bleeding edge research on Cow Urine at IIT Madras, taking Gomutra to the world stage.” The post was shared along with a video of Kamakoti reacting to the award announcement.

In the video, Kamakoti said the Padma Shri would further motivate him to work towards national development goals. “The Padma Shri Award means only one thing to me. That I will put all my best efforts towards ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047’,” he said.

Kamakoti, who has been serving as director of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras since 2022, was conferred with the Padma Shri for his contributions to education and research. A computer scientist by training, he is known for his work in computer architecture, microprocessor design and areas linked to national security, and has led several academic and institutional initiatives at IIT Madras.

The Congress’s post referred to comments made by Kamakoti at a public event last year, where he spoke about the alleged medicinal properties of cow urine while discussing indigenous knowledge systems and organic farming. The remarks had earlier drawn criticism from opposition leaders and rationalist groups, who accused him of promoting unscientific ideas unbecoming of the head of a premier technical institution.

Congress leaders had then described the comments as pseudoscientific, while leaders from the DMK and AIADMK had also questioned the appropriateness of such statements from an IIT director. Some had sought a clarification or apology, arguing that personal beliefs should not be projected as scientific claims.

At the same time, Kamakoti has received public support from several figures in the technology and business community, who defended him against political attacks and said his professional contributions should not be reduced to selective quotes. They argued that dismissing traditional knowledge without research reflected bias and ignored the broader context of his remarks.

The controversy comes amid the announcement of the Padma awards for 2026 on Sunday, with the government naming 131 recipients this year — five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri — across various fields.

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